Buses on board with security scheme

PRIVATE security guards could soon be responsible for keeping the peace on public transport.

There was a storm when Greater Manchester Police disbanded its dedicated Metrolink unit after years of wrangling over how much transport bosses should pay them.

But such has been the success of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority’s patrol and response unit of private security officers on buses and at bus stations that the scheme could soon be extended to trains and trams as well.

The Chronicle reported last year that just two pairs of guards from Carlisle Security were so successful on the bus network that they had cut crime in half.

They attended 130 incidents at bus stations and boarded 94 buses a week during 2007.

They detained 24 culprits until police arrived, ejected 57 people from bus stations and ordered almost 50 others off buses.

The authority has now agreed to run the scheme at bus stations in Oldham, Rochdale, Bolton, Wigan, Leigh, Bury, Hyde, Ashton and Altrincham, spending £150,000 together with bus operators who are delighted at the success.

The guards have no more powers than ordinary citizens but their presence is often enough to calm situations.

GMPTA boss Michael Renshaw said: “Over the next six months, we will be deciding how these funds can be spent on other forms of transport.”

Manchester councillor Keith Whitmore, who chairs the committee, said: “We want people to be safe on public transport and to feel safe too.

“It’s great for passengers to know that there is a response unit actually patrolling services and stations, and who are also on call to deal with specific problems.

“And they don’t just deal with specific incidents — by their presence, they are also helping to prevent anti-social behaviour in the first place.”

GMBOA, which represents the vast majority of local bus operators, has agreed to provide £60,000 of the total cost of the patrol and response unit over the next year.

Stagecoach managing director and Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association chairman Mark Threapleton, said: “Bus operators fully support the PTA’s priority to improve the safety of our passengers, as well as our own staff.

“This initiative has shown very encouraging results over the past 12 months and we are pleased to support it for another year, as one of a number of partnership ventures we are participating in with the PTA, GMPTE and the police, to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour on buses.”