Transport Officers have began working on Auckland’s Western Line trains.
The new role will provide customer support as well as improved safety on trains. Transport Officers will be working in pairs and they will be deployed when and where they are needed most.
Once the rollout is completed (subject to consultation) it is proposed to have almost 230 Transport Officers warranted by the New Zealand Police working across the Network.
AT’s Group Manager of Parking and Compliance John Strawbridge said, “The introduction of Transport Officers will give our customers more assurance on trains and around stations that they will be safe. The placement of Transport Officers can be tailored to when and where they are needed most, which makes the service not only more robust but also more efficient”
As part of the SaFE (Safety and Fare Enforcement) programme run by Auckland Transport and Transdev, the new staff will provide customer service and manage fare evasion through fare inspections and issuing infringements. They will also be trained in how to de-escalate situations caused by anti-social behaviour.
There is also an electronic gating program being rolled out as part of the SaFE program which involves installing new electronic gates at eight stations across the network. The gates mean that in order to access the station’s platform, passengers have to buy a paper ticket or tag on with their AT HOP card. This means more than 90 percent of passengers will travel through as gated station as part of their journey.
So far Henderson and Otahuhu have been finished and coming up they will be installed at Manurewa, Papatoetoe, Parnell, Middlemore, Glen Innes and Papakura.
