1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: We know the transit safety officers are set to be 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: scrapped with the people in those roles transitioning to a 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: new stream of police dedicated to tackling anti social behavior. 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: So the new police public safety officer is going to 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: focus on buses, public housing, shopping centers, bottle shops, events 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: and to other public areas. The new approach is set 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: to take effect from next year and is aimed at 8 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: freeing up police to crack down on crime. Now joining 9 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: me on the line for their take on these changes 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: is the Transport Workers Union's Northern Territory secretary Sam McIntosh. 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 2: Good morning Sam, Good morning Katie, thanks for having me on. 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to have you on the show. Sam, tell 13 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: me what do you think this might mean for bus drivers? 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 2: Well, we really welcome the intention behind this. I mean 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: our drivers, as you know, Katie, they put up with 16 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: a hell of a lot just going about doing an 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: important job, a tough job. They put up way too 18 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 2: much on the road, some terrible, some terrible, terrible incidents 19 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 2: that we hear about constantly. And so what will this 20 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 2: mean for drivers? I think it'll give us all more confidence, 21 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 2: drivers more confidence that they're being backed in. But also 22 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: passengers more confidence, because at the end of the day, 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: we want people on our network. We've got a great 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 2: bus network, we want people using it. But people've got 25 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: to feel safe, and people actually have to be safe. 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, you spot on. I mean, they need to be 27 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: safe on the buses. And we've heard so many times 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: over the years of terrible incidents unfolding. I mean, we 29 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: know there's other safety measures that have had to be 30 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: put in place to keep our bus drivers safe. I mean, 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: are you worried though, that you know, with the scrapping 32 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: of the transit safety officers, that it may mean that 33 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: you don't have people as highly visible on those buses, 34 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: or are you hoping that this new stream is actually 35 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: going to, you know, to be able to do more 36 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: than what you saw the transit officers do. 37 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: Well. The hope is certainly that they will be able 38 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: to do more. And I was listening to some of 39 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: the messages you're receiving earlier, Kadian and some of those 40 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: questions and concerns of right, you know, we've got to 41 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: make sure that the current level of transit officers are 42 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 2: reflected in the new police stream of this so that 43 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 2: we don't actually have we certainly don't have a lesser 44 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: number of people patrolling the network. Actually it's increased. They're 45 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: more visible. The visibility on the bus networks really important 46 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: because you know, the upshot is we don't want any incidents. 47 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 2: Our drivers, our members, they just want to be able 48 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 2: to do their work safely every day and go home 49 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 2: to their families. We don't want any incidents. And so 50 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 2: having a uniformed presence across the network, that's going to 51 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 2: be powerful and people will know that these individuals who currently, 52 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 2: let me say, do a terrific job are really they 53 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 2: do a terrific job. They're going to be trained, they're 54 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 2: going to be part of this police stream, and they'll 55 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: have some of the powers that are really important, including 56 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: the power of for rest. So from the perspective of 57 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 2: the bus network, we welcome measures that are going to 58 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 2: make our drivers and the public safer. We've got to 59 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 2: make sure that during the transition the visibility and the 60 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: presence is kept up, that's for sure. But on the whole, 61 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: I think the intent here is to make the network 62 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 2: safer and we welcome that now. 63 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: In times of how things have been going at the 64 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: moment for our bus drivers. Mate, have you seen I mean, 65 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: are they least incidents on our buses at the moment? 66 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: How have things been since we saw those The driver's 67 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: screen sort of fast tracked through as well. 68 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: Still incidents, Katie, I mean, this is an ongoing battle 69 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: for us. It's a fight that as a union we 70 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: take up every day. There's antisocial behavior out there that 71 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 2: isn't accept It's never ever acceptable, and with hearing reports 72 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: that it still exists. And that's why we welcome the 73 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: announcement yesterday because clearly more visibility is needed. Some of 74 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: the initiatives that we've been pushing for and that are 75 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 2: starting to be rolled out, they are welcome. The screens, 76 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: I think there's a way to go yet. Different models 77 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: of buses might need enhanced upgrades, but screens are positive. 78 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 2: The announcement around the interchanges that's positive as well, because 79 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 2: we want people using the network for what it's meant 80 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: for going to and from places. This is not a 81 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 2: place to congregate, it's not a place to make trouble. 82 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: The network needs to be used for its purpose. So 83 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: moving moving these interchanges to more appropriate areas we think 84 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 2: that'll make our network safer. So we're on that journey. 85 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: But as you pointed out the number of if your 86 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: listeners have pointed out, there's a way to go here 87 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: in terms of the detail, and we'd love to be 88 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 2: involved in that to make sure that we get the 89 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:09,559 Speaker 2: outcomes that we all want. 90 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: So, Sam, before I let you go, I mean, when 91 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: you look at those plans for the changes for the 92 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: bus interchange and also sort of taking into account those 93 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: fares are going to remain free, I mean, do you 94 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: think those things make a bit of a difference. Do 95 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: you think, you know, do you think they are going 96 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: to hopefully see a decrease in antisocial behavior? 97 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do. I think they do make a difference. 98 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 2: We know that carrying money on buses was a real problem. 99 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 2: It was a huge problem for our drivers because they 100 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 2: were suddenly the subject of attack. You know, they were 101 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: a group of workers who were carrying tender and there 102 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: were real incidents and are extremely dangerous, and so we 103 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 2: pushed for the buses to not be carrying fares. That 104 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 2: will make a difference. It continues to make a difference, 105 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: but as I said, this is a journey and we've 106 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: got to all be fully committed to making sure that 107 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: the network works for passengers and our members who do 108 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: a hell of a job every day. Really, it is 109 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 2: a difficult job. They do it with care and diligence, 110 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 2: but they deserve to be safe and so these measures 111 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 2: they will make a difference. But as a union, what 112 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 2: we want to do is continue to be involved in 113 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: the conversation and when I say a unit, I'm in 114 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 2: our drivers their voice is critical to this. They're on 115 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 2: the front line of it. They're seeing what's happening every day, 116 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 2: so let's continue to bring them into the conversation so 117 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 2: that we can continue coming up with solutions that make 118 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 2: an appreciable difference on the ground. 119 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: Well. Transport Workers' Union in Secretary Sam McIntosh, thanks so 120 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: much for your time this morning, mate. 121 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, appreciate it. 122 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: Thank you.