Over 70% of bus, rail and Luas staff feel unsafe due to passenger drug use

Kenneth Fox

More than seven in 10 bus, rail and Luas staff have felt threatened and unsafe because of passengers taking drugs on public transport.

The survey, carried out by Siptu, found just under 80 per cent of public transport workers said the problem has got worse in the last 12 months.

As The Irish Times reports, Siptu officials will appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on Wednesday to relay the experiences of public transport staff as part of the union’s ongoing campaign for the establishment of a dedicated transport policing unit.

The proposal had previously been rejected by both the companies involved, and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, who said antisocial issues on transport should be dealt with by An Garda Síochána.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris previously expressed support for that position.

The research, which includes responses from about 650 drivers and other passenger-facing transport staff, found that almost 75 per cent of the workers witness drug abuse on public transport several times a month. Around one fifth of those surveyed said it was a nearly daily occurrence.

Almost four in every five members of staff said the problem had got worse in the last 12 months.

In a majority of cases, the drug involved was believed to be cannabis, but a third of drivers and other staff reported having witnessed the use of cocaine, with a similar number stating they had seen heroin use.

Almost three quarters (73 per cent) said they felt unsafe during the course of their work due to the widespread use of drugs.

Of those from ethnic minorities, a similar percentage said they had also been the target of racist abuse.