A scheme to protect users of public transport in Greater Manchester will ‘make safety its top priority’ following a number of knife-related incidents, including in Radcliffe. 

The Greater Manchester TravelSafe Partnership (TSP) along with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) will step up enforcement on public transport after knife-related incidents were reported across the region, including in Bury, Radcliffe and Oldham.

The TSP, which is led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), GMP, and a number of transport operators, aims to keep users of public transport safe, as well as prevent and deal with crime, anti-social behaviour, and fare evasion.

The TSP has been made aware of a group of youths being threatened with a knife at Radcliffe tram stop, and in a separate incident a bus driver being threatened with a knife in Bury.

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Last week, following a press appeal using CCTV, three male youths were arrested and charged following reports of knife-point robberies at the tram stop in Failsworth, Oldham.

Greater Manchester Transport Commissioner, Vernon Everitt said the safety of passengers and staff is a ‘top priority’ as TfGM prepares to implement the Bee Network, an integrated, London-style transport system, in the city-region.

The Bolton News: Greater Manchester Police Force Headquarters, Manchester Greater Manchester Police Force Headquarters, Manchester (Image: Isabel Oldman, Newsquest)

He said: “Instances of knife crime are rare, but we have absolutely zero tolerance for it.

“The Travel Safe Partnership, which is a collaboration between Greater Manchester Police and Transport for Greater Manchester and a number of other agencies is designed to clamp down on this and to bring perpetrators of any of those crimes to justice.

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“There are daily patrols on the public transport network by police officers , and we’ve recently upped the intensity of that so the Police effectively regard the public transport network as the 11th district of Greater Manchester.

“There are special operations where we flood the whole network with police officers to make sure people feel safe and that we identify any perpetrators of crime.”

The public transport network is covered by CCTV which is monitored 24/7, and TSP say it will support GMP in all investigations, including sharing footage of incidents to inform criminal proceedings.

As well as operational activity, the TSP delivers a programme of education and behaviour change which saw more than 50,500 young people engaged last academic year.

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This includes joint work with the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit at colleges across the city-region.

GMP Superintendent Mark Dexter told the Bury Times that inquiries following the incident in Radcliffe were ongoing and that an investigation was underway using surveillance footage from the network to help catch the perpetrators.

He said that those caught carrying knives were most often young people and advised anyone who feels concerned about a young person to contact police.

He said: “We get numerous incidents of robberies whether its on the transport network or off the network, and we often find that its young people and they’re carrying knives.

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“If you’re concerned give us a call, we’ve got a crime reduction unit that can do referrals and education work that can try and dissuade people from taking that sort of action and getting involved in that sort of criminality.

“If you carry a knife or weapon, we urge you to surrender it at one of our 13 Forever Amnesty bins located across Greater Manchester.”

To discreetly report any incidents of crime or antisocial behaviour on public transport, use the GMP LiveChat service here.

To find your nearest Forever Amnesty bin, visit the GMP website.