Labor Leader in Brisbane City Council and Councillor for Deagon Ward, Jared Cassidy has applauded news that the Palaszczuk Government will provide more than $60m over the next five years to improve public transport safety.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said one of the key features would be more safety barriers between passengers and bus drivers and extra network officers who would soon begin patrolling public transport services.
Police patrols on public transport routes will also be increased.
“Our new network officer strategy will provide an overwhelming increase to our frontline transport force that will create about 100 new ongoing, full-time jobs,” Mr Bailey said.
Cr Cassidy said the intervention was great news for the physical safety and mental wellbeing of the city’s dedicated and hardworking bus drivers.
“But don’t forget that these bus drivers are Brisbane City Council employees, and as the leader of this Council, the LNP Lord Mayor is responsible for their safety at work, yet for years Adrian Schrinner refused to take action.”
“Brisbane bus drivers are being spat on, sworn at, kicked, and punched more than ever before but no action from this Lord Mayor. These aren’t just statistics. These are people being abused and assaulted daily at work.”
“The Mayor is more interested in his inner-city pet projects and swanning off to North America on a junket.”
“He could find billions to fund his Brisbane Metro but nothing to keep his employees safe.”
“It took the State Government and Transport for Main Roads to step in and introduce these safety measures and I applaud them for doing so but the Mayor should hang his head in shame.”
“How can this Mayor ever look another bus driver in the eye again after he spent years doing nothing while they were being spat on, sworn at, kicked, and punched.”
“For years my Labor team has been calling for increased safety measures for bus drivers but as usual, this LNP Lord Mayor and his team were asleep at the wheel and the city’s bus drivers were hung out to dry as assaults hit record levels.”
RTBU (Rail, Tram and Bus Union) secretary Tom Brown welcomed the decision to install more full safety barriers on buses.
“Report after report has found that the only way to keep drivers safe is to install fully encapsulated safety barriers.”
