After a community meeting at Tradies Helensburgh last night revealed the extent of the problem, Member for Heathcote, Maryanne Stuart, is calling for police on trains, CCTV cameras in carriages, education about emergency train procedures in schools and, ultimately, a bus service for students.
About 70 people attended the April 3 meeting, including parents, students, Transport for NSW representatives and Bulli High School principal Denise James.
More than a dozen people, including the mother of a child involved in a recent attack, shared their stories. The mood was “very emotional”, Maryanne said.
“There were tears. There was frustration, a lot of deep concern, probably anger – I’d go as far to say anger, yes.
“One woman spoke, she said her son was punched. I've heard that a Year 8 child was pushed down the stairs. It's also alleged that a knife has been presented … They're ongoing issues. Even the day before this meeting, apparently there was another incident on the train where young ones had been screamed at by an older person.
“Parents are saying, they need to go to work, they need to put their children on public transport, but they're really scared for the children.
“As their representative, it is my responsibility, the government's responsibility to keep every child safe travelling to and from school every day. So, I take this very, very seriously.”
In a phone interview today, Maryanne outlined the action she would like to see.
“I want to get police on the trains as soon as possible … in the interim between now and the bus service starting,” she said.
“I will move heaven and earth to make sure that we get the bus service.
“We know that when children are on a bus and confined like that it is easier to keep them safe.
“But in the meantime, I want a police presence on the train, and both ministers [Minister for Transport Jo Haylen and Minister for Police Yasmin Catley] are well aware of that.
“In other parts of the South Coast, they've had police on the trains, and it has ceased antisocial behaviour. So that's what I have asked for.”
Maryanne said the meeting had been a chance to hear directly from families. “So much more came out of the meeting than what I had thought.”
