Translink Press Release Big Bro goes on line
22 December 2004
Translink has issued a serious Christmas message for those engaged in vandalism or antisocial behaviour on board buses and trains - Think again, you will be caught, and you will face the consequences.
And for those who report information which leads to a prosecution, there is a potential £1,000 windfall from the company reward scheme.
Translink’s Mal McGreevy, NI Railways General Manager explained, “Travelling by rail should be a pleasant and safe experience for both passengers and staff, however vandalism, anti-social behaviour and trespassing happen all too often across our public transport network. N I Railways is committed to resolving these issues and in the first six months of 2004 we successfully prosecuted 69 offenders who were fined a total of £10,000.”
The scheme, which is currently in operation across N I Railways, Citybus (now Metro) and Ulsterbus services, acts as an incentive for people to come forward and report such incidents. To qualify for an award, if a member of the public, or Translink staff witnesses any incident and is prepared to give evidence in court, which results in a conviction, then Translink will make a cash reward payment of up to £1,000 to the witness.
From July until September 2004 NI Railways made 30 cash awards to staff and passengers who have participated. Incidents reported include improper use of level crossings, assaults, smoking, fare evasion and verbal abuse.
“We are increasingly adopting a zero tolerance position towards activities which may compromise the comfort and safety of our passengers and staff those caught trespassing on railway property and a plain closed PSNI presence is an extension of this commitment.” Mr McGreevy said.
“Translink’s message to those who might be tempted to act improperly is clear. Think again, you will be caught, and you will face the consequences. Indeed, the new C3K trains which are currently beginning to enter limited passenger service, promise to make it even easier for us to prosecute offenders as each carriage is equipped with the latest digital CCTV recording equipment.” Mr McGreevy concluded.
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