OST Sees Positive Results for February

The month of February saw Travel West Midlands Revenue Inspectors continuing to work with OST partners West Midlands Police on both ’Gateway Checks’ and on rolling revenue operations across the network.Travel West Midlands Inspectors carried out 13 ’Gateway Check’ operations on major bus corridors with local police officers and checked 68,401 passengers. These operations brought 15 arrests for a variety of offences and TWM’s on-bus CCTV systems have proved helpful in identifying those responsible for criminal acts.Stuart Henry, Corporate Affairs Manager said: "Our operations across the network have started well in 2005 and this good performance during February has underlined our commitment to ensuring safer travel for both staff and passengers. Travel West Midlands has made a huge investment into on-board CCTV systems so it is obviously pleasing that the images our CCTV cameras capture, are being utilised by local police officers. We are continuing to use our CCTV outputs effectively, most notably through our regular ’shop a yob’ campaigns in the local press. These campaigns are proving to be effective in identifying the small percentage of passengers who cause both criminal damage and anti-social behaviour on our buses."- 3,214 Travel West Midlands bus services were checked in February.- 1,438 passengers were found to be cheating the Company’s fare system.- 376 Travelcards were withdrawn for further investigation.Operation Safer Travel is the UK Bus Industry’s number one anti-crime partnership. To find out more visit www.travelwm.co.uk/ost

Published 2nd March 2005