Greater Manchester could become the first transport network outside London with the power to ban criminals from boarding trams and buses, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Almost 4,000 acts of vandalism or abuse on Metrolink and buses run by Stagecoach and First were recorded in Manchester last year – almost double the recorded incidents in 2013/14.
The case to ban perpetrators from the network has already been approved by the Home Office, but needs a final green light from the Home Secretary.
There are also plans to boost the city’s Travel Safe Partnership – a team of security officers and police tasked with reducing anti-social behaviour.
John Fryer, TfGM’s Safer Travel Manager, commented: “The fear of crime and anti-social behaviour is a key factor that can influence a person’s decision whether or not to use public transport, so tackling this issue is a clear strategic priority for us, the operators and police.”
He added that, with around 37 million Metrolink and 206 million bus journeys made in Greater Manchester in 2016, the chance of falling foul of an incident is ‘extremely rare.’
If TfGM is granted the powers to ban repeat offenders, it will be responsible for TfGM-owned property – including Metrolink, bus stations and the Leigh Guided Busway.
