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I'll ban alcohol on Tube, pledges Tory
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent3 Apr 2008
Drinking alcohol on the Tube should be banned in a bid to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, Boris Johnson said today.
The Tory mayoral candidate claimed many Londoners were afraid of taking the Underground at night because of aggressive drunks.
Figures released by the Mayor show that 40 per cent of violent crime in London is alcohol related.
Mr Johnson's "get tough" approach comes after the Standard revealed that some London A&E units are treating twice as many drunken patients as they did before 24-hour drinking laws.
He said: "London has a higher rate of alcohol-related crimes than any other region in England and I have been told time and again that people are scared of taking the Underground late at night. Too many people find themselves forced to sit opposite someone swigging from a can of lager and engaging in behaviour that is intimidating or worse. I want everyone's journeys to be safer."
He said he would ban drinking alcohol on the Tube by amending the London Underground conditions of carriage. The Tory candidate today visited Bexley, where violent crime has fallen 22 per cent, to talk to landlords about how they deal with anti-social behaviour.
Meanwhile, Brian Paddick pledged to provide free travel for all students in full-time education. The Lib-Dem candidate told a hustings at the University of London that the move would dramatically cut the cost of living for students.
Reader views (8)
Why do people always come back with - How will it be financed? Such an easy retort.
If we get rid of the current mayor and his KEY advisors we might save a few million on wasted yoof or ethnic project's.
Please don't pillor me with response's making me sound like a racist, in principal the Brixton Base project was a worthy cause - it's just a shame it was as corrupt as a £6 note.
- Kickkenout, Barnet, 04/04/2008 10:59
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Ridiculous. Of course violence & aggression, whether booze-fuelled or not, are unacceptable, but "swigging from a can of lager" is not in itself anti-social. What do you intend to do about all the people who pile onto the Tube full of booze from the pub - breathalyse them?
- Georgeous, London, 03/04/2008 21:23
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Just how exactly does Boris plan to enforce this? Body searches of all passengers, BTP officers at every station, body armour for station assistants? Or is he also going to pay for guards to make a comeback on the trains, along with his bus conductors. How will it all be financed?.
- Alan, Morden, 03/04/2008 20:34
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Drinking of alcohol is already banned on the Undergound.
There are notices, similar to those relating to the banning of street drinking, when entering the network.
The bye-laws also prohibit those that are drunk from entering the system, obviously this is only reserved nowadays for the worst cases of drunks.
Boris is sounding very NuLabour with announcing a new law to replace exactly the same one in use at the moment!
- Alan Barrett, London, 03/04/2008 19:49
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All UK elections are fixed anyway, so who cares?
- Henry Adams, Manchester, UK, 03/04/2008 18:26
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And who, pray tell, is going to enforce this? Assault, rape and murder are also banned on the tube one supposes but they seem to occur nevertheless. Perhaps getting more Transport Police might be the answer rather than banning alcohol.
- Squiz, Islington, 03/04/2008 17:54
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Why not go the whole hog and just ban people from the tube- then there would be no problems and the tube would be completely safe! I had considered breaking my vow to never ever vote Tory (because of Thatcher), as I want Livingstone out- until Boris keeps opening his mouth and more and more reactionary nonsense flows out. Bans here, more Police there. London more dangerous than New York etc etc… His scare mongering in order to gain votes is the problem not crime or alcohol..
- Michael, London, 03/04/2008 17:47
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I have long believed that London Transport is missing a big business opportunity and a chance to brighten the lives of Londoners by not providing buffet cars on the Circle Line. Imagine being able to drown your sorrows during all those signal failures!
- Peter, London UK, 03/04/2008 16:48
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