No support for PSOs on trains from Rail, Tram and Bus Union
THE Rail Trams and Bus Union has said no to Protective Service Officers travelling on trains, claiming ticket inspectors could police carriages.
Last week Moorabbin Leader reported calls from a concerned commuter and the Public Transport Users Association for PSOs to ride on Melbourne’s trains rather than just patrol station platforms.
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But RTBU Victorian secretary Luba Grigorovitch said there was no place for armed cops on trains and argued more “authorised officers” was the way to increasing commuter safety.
“I don’t believe anybody should be on a train with a gun,” Ms Grigorovitch said.
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“I don’t understand why anyone would support the notion of putting PSOs on trains, authorised officers are fully equipped and have been doing their job for a long time.
“(When required) an authorised officer will restrain somebody and they will call police (to) tell them to meet them at a station and the police will take the person away.”
Opposition leader Matthew Guy said the Labor government’s fear of upsetting the union meant PSOs would not board trains while the Andrews government was in power.
“They won’t upset the RTBU (Rail, Tran and Bus Union),” Mr Guy said.
“It would be seen as a demarcation dispute — which is crazy because ticket inspectors have one job and PSOs have something completely different.”
Mr Guy said PSOs aboard trains could be the next step in increasing public transport safety and
He would consider something similar to Sydney’s “nightrider” service as a “policy idea”.
He said the Sydney service, running since the 1980s, had one carriage on each train after 8pm with police on-board.
“There is a blue light on the side which shows where police are on that train,” Mr Guy said.
“I think that the next extension of the PSO policy is something along those lines. It’s something we are looking at now as a policy idea.”
However, police minister Lisa Neville said a balance had to be found between having “appropriate coverage of train station platforms and using PSOs and transit police where appropriate”.
She said any decision to expand PSOs’ role and coverage would be done in consultation with the Chief Commissioner.