Concern About Assaults on Platform Staff
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THE problem of assaults on platform staffs continues to create grave anxiety among those responsible for late night bus services, Mr. Alan Thompson, the national officer of the passenger group of the Transport and General Workers' Union, writes on the subject in this month's edition of T.G.W.U. "Record ".
Mr. Thompson describes these assaults as often vicious and brutal, their severity causing members to have long periods of incapacity. Such incidents have caused direct action to be taken in the form of men refusing to operate late night services without adequate supervision and protection. Unionofficials comment that it is a strange state of affairs when a bus service has to have police protection, as has been necessary in some cases in the past.
It may be recalled that Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd., which operates within the Medway towns, finally withdrew certain late night services because of the bad behaviour of some late night passengers, and the fact that very few fares were being collected. A current example of this trouble is at Newcastle upon Tyne, where bus crews have refused'to Work after 10 p.m: on the last two week-ends. Similar complaints have come from other company and municipal operators in many parts of the country.
Mr. Harry Joyce, passenger group secretary of the T.G.w.u. for all area from Carlisle to mid-Wales, told The Commercial Motor last week that, in all.
some 175 cases had been reported to him over five years, and he did not think that this was by any means the total amount. Mr. Joyce repeatedly emphasized " deepseated resentment" among crews as so he position in which they found themselves. in many cases, he said, they could give as good as they got, but if they struck a passenger, they were liable to lose their jobs immediately, and very often their p.s.v. licence.
Stiffer penalties could and should be imposed upon people who perpetrate such assaults, said Mr. Joyce. who is a magistrate on the Bolton bench. " First offenders ", he says, "are just put on probation as often as not, when they may well have committed many similar offences before being apprehended.
In recent 'weeks the White Paper on Compensation for victims of crimes of violence has been subject to debate in Parliament. Arising from this the Home Secretary is setting up a board which will be known as the "Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ", under the chairmanship of Mr. Kelly Carter, Q.C. The Board will consider applications in respect of injuries incurred on or after August 1, 1964. Mr. Thompson, in his article, points out that any member who needs to apply for compensation must first have lost wages for at least three weeks, and the compensation involved would have to he at least 150. Secondly, the circumstances of the injury must have been reported to the police.