Safety on Public Transport

Travelling on public transport should be a safe and comfortable experience. Numerous security measures have been adopted to maximise the safety of travellers including: security officers, police, guards, help points, good lighting and security cameras. Most drivers also have two-way radios and can call for assistance. This section will outline additional strategies to minimise the risk of being targeted by an offender and to deal with harassment should it occur. Specific options for various forms of transport are listed under the taxis, buses and trains subsections.

TransInfo (telephone: 13 12 30) provides an integrated transport information service covering Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast regions between 6am - 9pm weekdays and Saturdays, and 7am- 9pm on Sundays and public holidays.

General Safety Options

• Avoid unnecessary delays. Plan your travel by consulting a timetable or the TransInfo line.

• While waiting to travel, or travelling, position yourself wherever you feel the safest. This may be near other passengers, the ticket office/guard/driver or by yourself. You may also choose to wait at a convenient, well-lit bus stop or train station.

• It is a good idea to have a plan to get to your car or home when you get off public transport. Lighting, potential ambush and help points should be considered at this time.

Harassment

If you or another passenger experiences harassment on public transport, options include:

• speak out loudly and assertively. By loudly telling the harasser to stop whatever he/she is doing, he/she becomes the centre of attention, not you;

• immediately report any harassing or threatening passengers to the conductor, guard, ticket collector or driver, who can take action and if necessary contact the police;

• sit/stand elsewhere, such as near other passengers if you feel more comfortable;

• take an aggressive stand against the harassment by screaming or yelling at the harasser. This may alert others and is likely to surprise and discourage the harasser; and/or

• any other action you believe will best preserve your safety.

It is advisable to report any form of harassment or abuse by any public transport employee to the manager of the company /organisation concerned, and any harassment, abuse or threats to your safety to the police.

Buses

If your personal safety is threatened by a passenger(s) on a bus, your options include:

• Notify the driver. You may choose to ring the button/bell so the bus will stop at the next bus stop, where you can talk safely to the driver;

• Be alert to who gets off the bus with you. Trust your instincts and have a personal safety plan prepared, e.g. walk in a different direction and/or to a populated place;

• Bus drivers must adhere to a specified route. However, under special circumstances the driver may agree to let you off at an unscheduled stop if this does not inconvenience other passengers; and

• If your personal safety is threatened by the bus driver, take a note of the bus number, description of the driver and report the matter to police, the bus company or local council. In this instance, you may also wish to gain support from other passengers by taking their names or asking them to report the matter.

Citytrains

• Help Points are installed on the platforms of all Queensland Rail Citytrain stations that are not always attended. By pressing a button you are immediately connected to assistance, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

• stations are also progressively installing pay phones on platforms throughout the Citytrain network.

• Police officers, private security officers and ticket inspectors regularly patrol night trains. Trains scheduled to carry security officers are called Guardian Trains and are identified with a 'G' in the train timetable.

• Electric trains are being progressively fitted with intercommunication systems to allow passengers to make contact with the driver in an emergency by pressing a designated button near the door.

• Most suburban trains have security cameras installed, and a schedule is in place to fit cameras to the entire fleet.

• Carriages nearest the guards are always left open and lit. The guard travels in the middle of a six carriage train in a compartment behind a blue door. During the day the guard may be at the end of the third, or beginning of the fourth carriage. At night, the guard is located at the end of the third carriage.

• Try not to become isolated. If you find yourself left in a carriage on your own or with only one other person you may feel more comfortable to move to another carriage with other people or closer to the guard.

• If your safety is threatened, consider strategies listed under ‘General Safety Options’. You could also alert the guard by knocking on the blue door of the guard's carriage, pushing the intercom to communicate with the driver or whatever else you believe will best preserve your safety.

Note: Many of the Citytrain facilities listed, with the exception of payphones on platforms, are limited to the south-east Queensland Rail Network.

Taxis

Travelling by taxi is generally quite a safe method of public transport. To increase your confidence when travelling by taxi consider the following suggestions:

• Phone for a taxi in preference to hailing one. A record is kept by taxi companies of all bookings made;

• You are entitled to choose the taxi/taxi driver of your preference. If a driver makes you feel uncomfortable you are within your rights to select another taxi;

• Sit wherever you feel most comfortable. This may mean travelling in the back seat of the taxi;

• Specify to the driver the route you wish to take to reach your destination. Speak up if the driver takes a different route to the one you have specified or are familiar with;

• Take note of the taxi company and fleet number. This will help in identifying the taxi if required. If you are walking a friend to catch a taxi, consider letting the driver know that you have noted these details e.g., "Look after my friend, Mr/Ms Yellow Cab No.436";

• Stay alert to your surroundings and limit your conversation to general topics;

• If you don't want your home address known, stop a few houses away from your destination.

• If the driver harasses you when travelling in a taxi your options include:

• Ask the driver to stop. You may choose to make up an excuse to do so;

• Leave the taxi when it stops at a traffic sign or lights;

• Call out to someone on the street to attract attention and seek assistance. This may also cause the driver to stop;

• Read out the fleet number and advise the driver you will report him/her if they don't stop;

• Take an aggressive approach by screaming/yelling at the driver to stop; and/or

• Trust and act on your instincts, do whatever you believe will best preserve your safety.