Abusive Britain: Passengers ‘rail’ against transport employees

In addition, each year over 140,000 incidents where public transport officials are physically assaulted by members of the public are witnessed by passengers.  

• Over 1.4 million verbal assaults on public transport employees and over 140,000 physical assaults witnessed each year¹
• Every year over 640,000 passengers are approached by un-licensed individuals seeking to illegally sell bus or rail tickets
• 1.3 million Britons have witnessed someone ‘shadow’ a fare paying passenger through automated ticket barriers to avoid buying a ticket  

G4S, which provides revenue protection and other security services, including British Transport Police railway safety accredited officers, for a number of rail companies, advises travellers that they should report anyone they believe is acting abusively to a member of the British Transport Police or an appropriate authority.

According to G4S, every year over 640,000 passengers are approached by un-licensed individuals seeking to sell bus or rail tickets.  It believes that unscrupulous individuals prey on travellers’ desire for ‘bargains’ and take advantage of tourists, selling tickets that are out of date or invalid for travel.

Over 1.4 million travellers on public transport have witnessed people jumping over automated ticket barriers in the last year.  Since the expansion of automated ticket barriers at stations across the country, there has been a significant rise in ‘shadowing.’  Over 1.3 million Britons have witnessed a passenger sneaking through an automated ticket barrier ‘shadowing‘ behind a fare paying traveller to avoid purchasing their own ticket.

Steven Taylor, Managing Director, G4S Rail and Maritime, said: “The abusive behaviour directed towards employees on public transport is completely unacceptable.  While travelling can be tense and stressful at times we are calling on the public to treat all ticket inspectors, guards, conductors and drivers with courtesy and respect.”

“It is immensely frustrating for fare paying passengers that criminal elements persist in anti-social behaviour on public transport.  People sneaking through, or jumping over, barriers drive up ticket prices for all legitimate passengers and deny rail companies fares totalling in excess of £400 million a year.”

Regional findings
London travellers have witnessed more incidents of anti-social behaviour and fare dodging than any other region in the UK.  Over a quarter of a million Londoners witness public transport officials being verbally abused each year and over half a million have seen fellow passengers sneak through automated ticket barriers without paying.  Outside London the greatest number of physical assaults on public transport officials was recorded in Scotland with over 21,000 violent incidents witnessed each year.