Poor security blamed for bad behaviour on trains

Auckland's Britomart train station. Photo / Doug Sherring

Poor security on trains could deter passengers in the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup and beyond rail unionists told Auckland Council members yesterday.

Rail and Maritime Transport Union representative James Williams accused Britomart Station security staff of avoiding responsibility for unruly behaviour on trains and of allowing drunk and abusive passengers to board them.

Mr Williams, who was joined by union branch chairman Bernie Henare in a presentation to the council transport committee, said the council-employed security staff took a view that loading such passengers on trains was the easiest way to be rid of them. He said the latest example, at 6.30pm on Saturday, involved a fight at Britomart among about 10 people.

"The fight moved on to the train because security refused to have anything to do with it."

Another was during Big Day Out services, when he said rail operator Veolia Transport had no security plan to deal with disorderly passengers, including those who refused pleas by train staff - many of them women - to stub out tobacco and marijuana cigarettes.

He said that although the presence of Maori wardens on trains was a big help in deterring antisocial behaviour, Veolia kept saying it did not have enough money to employ on-board security staff, or for enough communications equipment to keep passengers briefed about delays.

Asked by council member Cathy Casey why train crews did not call the police, Mr Williams said he was involved in trying to defuse an incident at Papakura Station last year in which a man with two children was being beaten up by teenagers.

Yet it took the police 20 to 25 minutes to respond from their own station across the road.

Mr Williams said the only way to persuade more people to use public transport was to make it safe.

He said violence at some Melbourne stations was such that authorities were discussing using armed police to patrol them, and he would hate security concerns to similarly ruin the reputation of Auckland's rail network.

He also raised concerns about difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, and blamed unpunctual services on reduced crew numbers.

Committee chairman Mike Lee said much of Mr Williams' report made for uncomfortable listening but it was necessary for the politicians to "cut out the middlemen" and hear directly from those at the work-face.

Councillor George Wood, who chairs the council's community and safety forum, told Mr Williams he should send a written submission to Mayor Len Brown so it could be referred to a mayoral task force examining the safety of rail travel to and from Eden Park.

Auckland Transport did not respond directly to the allegations about Britomart security staff, but spokeswoman Sharon Hunter said railway stations were equipped with yellow panic buttons responded to within seconds through a round-the-clock security control room which worked closely with police.