Tram staff are routinely shouted at, spat on and physically attacked, according to a trade union representative, in behaviour the city’s transport boss branded ‘disgraceful’.
According to data from union Unite, 210 instances of anti-social behaviour on the trams were reported in the past year.
Steven Maison, chair of the Edinburgh Trams Unite branch, told councillors that improved working with the police and a new CCTV system have not been enough to tackle the problem.
In a frank statement to councillors he said: “The sad truth is even staffing trams and stops with police officers won’t deter people who are determined to make your day worse.”
In response to the reported incidents, Transport and Environment Committee convener and Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson put forward a motion on Thursday calling for action on the issue, which passed unanimously.
In it, he asked council officers to return to the committee by December spelling out what interventions can be made by the council and Edinburgh Trams to address anti-social behaviour.
Additionally, he called on them to compile all available data on behaviour that impacts staff, and evaluate the current measures aimed at tackling staff abuse on the trams.
Cllr Jenkinson said: “We have had some concerning incidents of physical violence, verbal abuse, pushing, kicking and spitting.
“I think that’s quite disgraceful actually, and I’m absolutely aware that we’ve had quite rightly in not only this committee, but also in full council, motions and reports and really good work done looking for our colleagues in Lothian Buses.
“We shouldn’t forget about the work that still needs to be done in regards to looking after our workers and colleagues and passengers on Edinburgh Trams.
“I think it’s important that not only this committee, but this council, reaffirm our commitment to the safety of the workers that fall within the remit of this committee.”
Mr Maison wrote that the issues faced by staff on the trams are different than those for bus drivers, as ticket inspectors on the trams walk freely about each vehicle.
Meanwhile, bus drivers find themselves positioned behind a screen, which covers the space between boarding passengers and the driver’s seat.
He continued to describe the issues his members face: “Daily our service staff are confronted with everything from verbal abuse, passenger on passenger abuse, vandalism, spitting, projectiles thrown at the vehicle and physical attacks.
“They do not have screens to stay protected behind; they are customer facing. Within the last year we have had 210 reports of anti-social behaviour and only roughly 1 – 2% of those reports lead to prosecution under the tramway bylaws.
“Public transport has seen an increase in anti-social behaviour, and that’s only the reported numbers. Something must give.”
According to data from Unite, each year only 1-2% of instances of anti-social behaviour directed at staff on the trams led to prosecution.
And, 15% of instances of anti-social behaviour recorded in the past year involved emergency stop levers being pulled.
Mr Maison said this led to the safety of both passengers and staff being ‘put in jeopardy’.
Labour councillor Conor Savage agreed with Cllr Jenkinson, saying: “It’s paramount that staff and the public are kept safe whilst using public transport, so we need to be sure that all appropriate measures are in place to protect them.
“Getting information on these is therefore critical.”
Conservative councillor Iain Whyte agreed, but suggested involving the police, telling Cllr Jenkinson: “I haven’t chosen to oppose your motion, because I think this is a very important issue, one we should be concerned about.
“Concerned about these things that we, we the council, should discuss with the police, too, as well as the companies involved.
“And I give a shout out to anyone on the Culture and Communities Committee to take that opportunity to scrutinise Police Scotland in their delivery within Edinburgh.
“We must hold the tram company to account, too, for the health and safety of their staff. Our report should take account of that.
“If pressure is to go on, that’s perhaps where it should go. And they should be talking to the trade unions about this as well.”
Edinburgh Trams is owned by Edinburgh Council, but as an arms-length company. This means the company takes most decisions independently of the council.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
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