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CCTV, more police but crime on the buses gets worse
Pippa Crerar, Political Correspondent11.01.08
Crime on London's buses is worse than two years ago despite Ken Livingstone's efforts to crack down on anti-social behaviour, a new report claims.
The London Assembly's transport committee said passengers felt less safe on buses than on any other form of public transport.
It listed the most problematic routes - all north of the river - as route 18 from Sudbury to Euston, route 25 from Oxford Circus to Ilford High Road, route 29 from Wood Green Station to Trafalgar Square and route 38 from Clapton Pond to Victoria.
There was a 15 per cent increase in the number of all crimes on buses since 2004 with teenage anti-social behaviour of particular concern. However, crimes per journey actually fell - one per 50,000 - because more people used the buses, meaning passengers were less likely to become victims. Roger Evans, Tory chairman of the transport committee, said: "Anti-social behaviour and crime on buses remain a real concern. We welcome the greater police presence and use of CCTV but other steps can be taken to safeguard passengers, our report makes a number of constructive recommendations."
The Mayor has tried to address the problem by requiring children eligible-for free travel to swipe passes on buses and show the driver photocards.
Transport for London has also increased the uniformed presence on buses and is using more technology to prevent and solve crime.
Tory Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson, who has campaigned for safer buses, said: "When I travelled around London's 32 boroughs ... the message that people do not feel safe on buses was loud and clear. Why should Londoners wait any longer?"
Mr Johnson said that his proposal for the introduction of a £150,000 CCTV system should now go ahead, despite Tfl pulling the plug on the pilot system.
However, TfL said crime rates on Lon-don buses were the lowest they have been since 2004 - not higher than two years ago. A spokesman said: "The vast majority of our passengers are unlikely to be the victim of crime on a London bus."
TfL claimed the table of worst bus routes was "meaningless" as it was not based on call-outs for anti-social behaviour - and did not take into account either the length of the route or the number of passengers.
| The worst routes 10 routes generating most reports | ||||
| 2006 to 07 | 2005 to 06 | 2004 to 05 | 2003 to 04 | |
| 1 | 38 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| 2 | 25 | 29 | 207 | 82 |
| 3 | 29 | 8 | 29 | 207 |
| 4 | 73 | 38 | 18 | 149 |
| 5 | 51 | 149 | 38 | 86 |
| 6 | 149 | 73 | 94 | 29 |
| 7 | 18 | 18 | 73 | 18 |
| 8 | 5 | 94 | 86 | 254 |
| 9 | 8 | 176 | 8 | 279 |
| 10 | 176 | 86 | 57 | 38 |
| Source: TFL | ||||
Reader views (11)
My 13 yr old daughter got mugged last nite by three 15 yr old boys. They have taken her phone & then laughed as she got off the bus...Guess what the CCTV was not working, well thats a surprise (not)....This incident happen at 8pm & although the police was called, the youths were not caught..Why is this allowed to happen again & again ?? She is very shaken up by what happened to her...Tell me what is going to happen about this !!!! (nothing). You will never stop the crime on the buses its just gone too far now......
- Terry Lovell, Ruislip, Middx
Crime has got worse since the routemasters were taken out of circulation. Having conductors on buses meant that all the passengers could be supervised at all times and if there was a problem the conductor was there to deal with it. Now drivers are not allowed to get out of their cabs, even when they know an incident is occurring. It's just given a green light to people who are intent on committing crime or causing a disturbance.
- B, London
"I think adults are to blame."
Well Carole, by your juvenile thought process the Americans are surely to blame for the Second World War, simply by standing by and doing nothing for all that time.
- Bob Mcguffin, London
"The vast majority of our passengers are unlikely to be the victim of crime on a London bus."
This isn't wildly comforting, is it? Thanks, Ken.
- Cleggy, London
I think adults are to blame. Last week I saw a bus driver stop and allow a gang of kids to get on the 394 bus and attack a lone child. None of the adults helped the victim before, during or after the attack. No-one called the police (including the bus driver). One evil by stander even carried on reading his book. No wonder children feel they must arm themselves. Outrageous, we are all to blame.
- Carole, London, England
"There was a 15% increase in the number of all crimes on buses since 2004 with teenage anti-social behaviour of particular concern. However, crimes per journey actually fell - one per 50,000 - because more people used the buses, meaning passengers were less likely to become victims." Isn't it wonderful what you can do with statistics, a 15% increase in crime but less chance of becoming a victim. I understand what the figures are saying but it shows that they can easily be manipulated to show anything.
Ken doesn't listen to the people though does he, most people I know and from the comments here are against the free travel given to kids. But when people have said this to Ken he has accused them of being mean spirited. I think that it would be a good idea just to give them free transport to and from school and that is all. The amount of times I see kids get on the bus for just one stop, and then I read in the papers that kids are unhealthy and need exercise. Also have you noticed how the mobile phones that kids now have all seem to have speakers on them so you have to put up with a constant barrage of hip-hop while on a journey. Why have the mobile phone companies made phones like this, this is another question that should be asked as this noise is part of the anti social problems and behaviour in today's society. I would fully back any government who declared that they were going to make loud music illegal, be it from a phone, in a car, or from someones house.
- Steven Patrick M, London, UK
I used to love the No. 38 Routemaster. Now that it has been emascualted into a bendy bus I try to avoid it. You feel like a piece of cargo instead of a fare paying passenger and there is no communal spirit on the bendy bus as you got on a Routemaster. It is probably this latter point which brings on the anti social behaviour. I don't want to travel as if I am part of a herd. I believe Tmj, London has a point.
- Paula Newman, London, England
Look at that, it looks as though there's a direct correlation between giving kids free reign on public transport and crime. Come in Mr Livingstone, your time is up!
- Hu Ha, London
Stop free travel for teenagers.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
'It listed the most problematic routes - all north of the river - as route 18 from Sudbury to Euston, route 25 from Oxford Circus to Ilford High Road, route 29 from Wood Green Station to Trafalgar Square and route 38 from Clapton Pond to Victoria.'
These are all bendy bus routes, maybe that's what's behind the problems.
- Tmj, London
It is a proven fact that CCTV does not prevent crime, it only aids with prosecution evidence in court, assuming the offender is caught. We have CCTV in all our town centres yet violent assaults increase by the day.
What is needed is a uniformed patrol of security personnel on board all night buses and some daytime routes - people pay enough for public transport, they should feel as safe in a bus as they do in their own car.
- Pat, The Hague , Netherlands
