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TfL’s director of community safety, Steve Burton |
‘Fare evasion is main problem on the 29 bus’
TfL crime chief’s plan to improve route
TRANSPORT for London’s (TfL) crime chief has rejected criticism of the No 29 bus route insisting “from a crime perspective bendy buses are safe”.
Steve Burton, TfL’s director of community safety, enforcement and policing on London’s buses, accepted the 29 had to deal with high demand, but maintained the bendy bus was a success story.
His comments are in contrast to the views of London Mayor Boris Johnson who has ordered a review of the service after claiming there were “relatively high levels” of bad behaviour. Groups of politicians and passengers in Camden and Islington are also lobbying for more action to make the route safer and less crowded. It has the third highest number of anti-social disturbances of all London buses and has proven so unpopular it has its own Facebook page detailing passengers experiences of pickpocketing and arguments.
In an interview with the New Journal at TfL’s headquarters in Victoria, Mr Burton argued the real problem facing the bendy buses was not crime against passengers but fare evasion, which at 9 per cent on the 29 is 7 per cent higher than average, according to TfL surveys.
Stamp out fare evasion and you cut the fear of crime, he said.
Mr Burton plans to introduce mandatory validation, a scheme whereby all commuters, even those with season tickets, touch-in on the self-service style Oyster pads on the buses.
He accepted the 29 had “particular features” but said genuine crimes on the route were only a fraction higher than London averages, adding: “Bendy buses are not a crime problem for us.”
Mr Burton said the main challenge was “communicating what we’re doing” to deal with commuters “not feeling as safe as they actually are”.
Police do not collect data on numbers of crimes committed on specific bus routes, leaving Mr Burton reliant on his drivers to flag up any anti-social behaviour.
Campaigners and politicians argue it is an unreliable way of gathering information.
Suggestions to introduce conductors and begin some routes in Camden Town – rather than the West End – to ease the crush are both unlikely to be introduced.
Camden’s crime chief Councillor James King called for an urgent review and said Mr Burton’s comments contradicted Boris Johnson, who recently admitted the 29 “suffered from relatively high levels of anti-social behaviour”.
Cllr King added: “This review should look at changes to the route itself. It links crime hotspots and leaves lots of people struggling to get a bus home from Camden Town in the early hours because the buses are full.” |
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