Anti-social behaviour on buses - new reporting trial

[TJMP]

Given concerns discussed on this forum about behaviour on buses I thought EDF members might like to be made aware of this new reporting trial that is being carried out over the next three months and includes bus services in Southwark.

From TfL:

I am writing to let you know about a new text/phone/email service that TfL and the Metropolitan Police Transport Operational Command Unit (MPS TOCU) are launching.

From 1 March 2009, we shall begin a three month trial of a service that will allow members of the public to text, phone or email information about inconsiderate, intimidating or otherwise anti-social bad behaviour on buses. The trial will last for three months and will apply to bus routes operating in Lewisham, Lambeth and Southwark. Clearly anti-social behaviour can be very intimidating. We hope that by providing these new direct channels, passengers can assist us in deploying police resources effectively. We shall assess the trial to determine to what extent Police intelligence is improved as a result of this form of direct passenger feedback. If the trial is judged a success, consideration will be given to a wider roll-out.

We shall distribute information cards with key contact details at transport hubs and shopping centres in the three boroughs. I have set this out below also. Secondary school children will receive the same information, but on Oyster card wallets, which will be distributed to the 50 secondary schools in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham. The MPS TOCU will monitor all calls, texts, and emails received on a daily basis. Any information received that is relevant to other policing teams will be fed through to them.

Passengers will be able to feed information to their local policing team by:

CALLING Lambeth/Southwark 0800 028 7820

Lewisham 0800 028 7760

TEXTING The word BUS followed by the message to 80010. (A text will be charged at the standard text message rate).

EMAILING [email protected]

GOING ONLINE At www.met.police.uk

Tessa Jowell MP

[Brendan]

Is this reserved for reporting annoying little gobshites or can it also be used every time you stand aside for a lady or older person and some self-consumed, titcocking city boy thinks that?s it is his right to push in?

Not that I have a personal bugbear about this or anything.

[ratty]

That's never happened to me, but I would be prepared to let the city boy verbally have it myself. Sadly the little gob shites are probably armed so I would slope off and moan about it on here rather than risk a kicking or worse from an 11 year old. (it has happened before anyone chips in on this - I was chased up ED Train Station by a gang of teenagers and fully shat me pants!)

Any initiative on highlighting anti social public transport behaviour is good, but, the figures must be openly acted upon.

[snoozequeen1]

Oh I say..Is there an email address for uk.reassurance? You know, re anti-social behaviour everywhere.

I guess not, because "uk.reassurance", that would be the job for the UK government, "TJMP" included.

And we have got this lot. The same government that has just refused the Information Tribunal's order to release the cabinet minutes covering their decision to take us into war on the basis of a great big whopping lie.

The same government that wouldn't award the police their full pay award, while exploiting every loophole to fill their own pockets with immoral expense claims. And don't mention Italy, whatever you do. It's just not nice to remind anyone about all the dead and dying people.

How does anyone expect the young to behave, given the example of this woman and her chums?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Blimey - once again, I can see why no politician would want to help anyone, given the cyncism displayed there snoozequeen

Given the specific nature of the problem can we deal with it rather than all of societies ill. Most of the little maggots acting up on buses are blissfully unaware of what does or doesn't happen chez Tessa Jowell or anyone else

TJMP - what sort of steps are in place to stop the scheme being abused - eg if some gang decided to text lots of messages about a specific problem on bus A purely to divert police/TFL resources, this enabling them to get up to whatever on bus B?

[James]

As a regular bus user I find it slightly alarming that I only discovered this trial existed by reading it on this forum. I doubt the trial will be a roaring success if nobody knows about it...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Be fair, James - she says "we shall distribute info ...". We're just getting advanced notice of the campaign.

[James]

I should point out that the trial began yesterday. So that's hardly 'advance notice', is it?

[SeanMacGabhann]

trial means just that tho surely - you are unlikely to see mass-advertising across all of the buses

[????]

Sean, politicians and especially our MP aren't meant "to want to help people" they're paid to do just that (in theory)....some of us are a little bit cynical about TJMPs communications on the EDF getting nearer to an election when we never see her on our streets

[SeanMacGabhann]

I'm not saying suspenc cynicism and I'm not saying your rationale isn't justified - but on this specific thread, as a scheme that might actually hellp and do something on the buses, let's run with that.

If we want to talk down politicians endlessly let's start a specific thread in the lounge but for the love of all that's good and holy allow SOME room for dialogue. Otherwise "they" on that side of the fence are completely justified in saying the public deserve what they get as we are a bunch of unhelpful, mean spirited ungrateful little bollixes

[????]

...but that's exactly what I am

[summerjt]

This scheme does sound like a good idea although I agree with James that I only found out about it on this forum which doesn't bode well really. I get regular email updates from TFL about which tube stations will be shut at the weekend - I would have thought they could tack information about this scheme onto one of their emails? I imagine most people who own an Oyster card get these emails.

[Keef]

I'm with Sean on this one, say what you will about the goverment, this is a good idea, and not the thread to start a general heard it all before critique of the rights and wrongs of the war! For the record, I marched against the war, and have never voted labour, but still want my bus rides to be nicer.

[Burbage]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm with Sean on this one, say what you will about

> the goverment, this is a good idea,

Up to a point. It's a whole four-and-a-bit months since the Met launched a campaign with the strapline "You now only need to know two numbers to contact the Metropolitan Police". The success of that has obviously opened minds.

Does anyone remember what 101 was for?

[Sue]

Burbage Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Keef Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I'm with Sean on this one, say what you will

> about

> > the goverment, this is a good idea,

>

> Up to a point. It's a whole four-and-a-bit months

> since the Met launched a campaign with the

> strapline "You now only need to know two numbers

> to contact the Metropolitan Police". The success

> of that has obviously opened minds.

>

> Does anyone remember what 101 was for?

xxxxxxx

Are we talking 1984? I'm confused :-$

[Burbage]

101 is, and very possibly was, the Home Office plan for a national SNEN (single non-emergency number) devoted to anti-social behaviour and community safety issues. Following a vigorous campaign, the scheme was officially adopted around five years ago, with the help of Ofcom, the telecommunications industry and a bunch of local authorities, police forces, fire brigades etc. Since then, plenty of time and money has been spent putting the infrastructure in place and running formal trials and pilots prior to the scheduled 'transitioning' and 'relaunch' in January 2008.

Southwark, to their credit, expressed an interest in joining 'Wave 2' in 2006, rather than waiting for the 2008 rollout. The London Fire Brigade supported it, the Met supported it, the GLA supported it (and put ?250k into a pilot). But something happened.

In the first instance, nobody could work out who should run it. The police wouldn't do it, because their Metcall system wasn't finished (and now that it is finished, they still won't). And the inevitable cross-border issues (e.g. should Barnet pay for calls from Southwark commuters?). And financial issues (The Home Office stopped the funding). But then someone thought of a central switchboard.

So, by last September the pilot (in Barking and Waltham Forest) was up and running and had a favourable report. And the GLA was looking at a possible call-centre solution (which Ealing was already buying into). And in November Boris was promising to 'drive' the 101 project. But, in January, it was declared unfeasible. Except in Barking and Waltham Forest, naturally.. No reason is given, except a bit of mumbling about money.

So, although the public wants it, the infrastructure is in place and a lot of money has been spent, we're not getting it. Instead we've got the Met's shiny "you'll have to ring the council" number and the new "anti-social-behaviour-on-buses-but-presumably-not-trams" hotline.

Joined-up government in action.

[snoozequeen1]

Keef Wrote:

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> and not the

> thread to start a general heard it all before

> critique of the rights and wrongs of the war!

If you read it you will see that is not what was posted at all. The comment is about their just-now refusal to comply with an instruction from the lawfully appointed body that has told them to release the record of the meeting in which they committed to taking the United Kingdom to war.

Your line, of "Say what you like about TJ, at least she wants to make the buses run on time", is terribly appropriate of course, since I believe the original, "Say what you like about Hitler, he made the trains run on time" was one of the immortal sayings of a predecessor of TJ's chum, Sivio Berlusconi - namely one Benito Mussolini.

[Keef]

Well that must make them the same then.

[Administrator]

Please stay on topic

[snoozequeen1]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Well that must make them the same then.

Not the same at all:

Barbara Castle

Gwyneth Dunwoody

Kate Hoey - for her recent record voting against the anti-civil liberties laws

what's-her-face Hackney MP, when she has a good day

The woman who is now leader of Green Party if only I could remember her name too

and the one from the Liberal Democrats who's always on Question Time. Sarah Teather. Actually I have no evidence for that but I'm willing to take a punt.

and - topic - I am sure they have all used buses at some point.

[gjtango]

Does anti-social behaviour include playing shit music out of mobile phones without the aid of headphones?

[Keef]

I think that would be most peoples top complaint!

[????]

Tessa, I do hope this initiative lasts until next May when I presume Gordon will do an election bus tour...gratuoisly lying on a bus; talking bollox in a dour scottish accent; finding the thief who has ruined my pension and the country on the upper deck of a bus; etc etc