wletters

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 18 January 2008

We need safety staff to tackle trouble on buses

• THE silly squabble between Transport for London and the London Assembly transport committee over whether crime has fallen on our buses seriously
misses the point.
Londoners do not feel safe on buses in the capital, and we need action now to address the fear of crime.
Much was lost when conductors disappeared from our buses. The drivers have enough to do concentrating on driving smoothly and safely. While it would be hugely expensive to bring back uniformed staff on every London bus, it is surely high time we had them on “bendy buses”, on busy routes and on routes in areas where crime levels are known to be high. Working with the Met’s Safer Transport Teams, they would bear down on fare evasion and challenge anti-social behaviour. Security guards on trains are already proving popular and the majority of Londoners feel much safer.
New technology can ensure that passengers know accurately when their bus will arrive (some systems will give you this on your mobile phone). This would mean less waiting around in vulnerable locations at bus stops. The London Assembly transport committee’s report has a list of other really practical recommendations, which the mayor needs to take forward.
The Labour-Tory squabbling gets us nowhere. Let’s get extra staff and new technology to work.
GEOFF POPE
Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman
London Assembly

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

Your comments: