Attacks on bus drivers more frequent, less serious

There has been a steady increase in the number of assaults on staff and vandalism on public transport in Luxembourg since the end of the Covid pandemic, a group dedicated to public transport safety said last week.

The Public Transport Safety Steering Committee, chaired by Mobility and Public Works Minister Yuriko Backes, met for the first time last week

While the number of incidents has increased, the severity of the abuse and vandalism has decreased, the ministry said, “which is partly encouraging”.

More police patrolling buses after driver abuse

The board has not published exact figures on the attacks on staff or the damage. The latest statistics available, published in January 2023, show that there were 237 assaults on staff in 2022.

A further 197 third-party assaults were recorded on public transport in 2022, along with 599 incidents of “inappropriate behaviour”, 66 acts of vandalism and 260 other offences.

A program to install more safety cabs for drivers on regional RGTR buses has made progress, the ministry said. As of this month, 542 of the 1,262 buses in the RGTR fleet are equipped with a safety cab or wall, representing 43% of the total.

As of January 2023, only 236 buses out of a fleet of 1,045 had safety cabins or walls. Buses with safety cabs now serve 183 RGTR routes across the Grand Duchy.

Rail company CFL says video surveillance staff are looking at buildings, not people

Security on board Luxembourg’s trains and at railway stations was investigated in January when Tageblatt the paper reported that CFL staff did not react to security incidents captured on CCTV cameras around its stations and trains but instead slept or played cards and watched television.

The digitization a year ago of the CIS Safety Incident Reports tool has made it easier to report incidents that endanger the safety of drivers and passengers.

The digital CIS tool will soon be extended to RGTR, AVL, TICE and Luxtram operators to help establish detailed real-time national statistics as well as accurately detect sensitive areas where incidents occur more frequently. The aim is to use this data to work with the police to take specific precautions to improve security, according to the ministry.

“It is important to maintain these efforts to guarantee optimal safety in public transport. The safety of users and staff remains an absolute priority, says Backes.