24 March 2014, 1:30pmFare evasion by shifty commuters is costing the WA Government millions of dollars per year and the Premier is not happy. The problem is compounded by the fact that total traffic infringements have fallen over the last financial year. Simply put, the Government is quickly going broke.
As a result, the Government has intensified its focus on income from public transport. Proposed changes to legislation will see Transit Guards being armed with tazers and hand-guns to enable them to effectively chase down and immobilise anyone who tries to avoid paying their fare.
If a Transit Guard has a reasonable suspicion that a commuter has travelled over 5 zones and attempts to evade capture by the Transit Guards, then the use of lethal force is authorised to protect the public and the Government's piggybank.
The new slogan that will be rolled out across WA media is: Getting a free ride? You're DEAD Wrong".
The Bell Tower Time's confidential Government source told us:
Watch out commuters.
"The campaign is really quite simple. We hope that given the serious risk that you will be tazed, beaten and shot for evading a $4.50 fare, there will be a dramatic drop in fare evasion. The Government thinks that fare evasion is a gross disrespect to our great State and quite frankly the Elizabeth Quay Project has blown out and we can barely afford it".
This concept is not new. The Victorian Railways Investigation Division armed its Railway Investigation Officers (RIOs) with .357 Ruger Magnum revolver handguns and Reminington shotguns (for the armoured car officers and payroll escorts) in the 80s when the Victoria Police still were using .32 Browning semi automatic pistols. The RIOs were bought new police like uniforms too and long batons (the forerunner of the collapsible ASP baton) long before the police were issued them.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, crime and fare evasion were at a all time low as well as pay train robberies. Several RIOs had criminal records but that was a bonus skills set not a detraction for employment.
However, the RIOs got a tad over zealous in thier duties and a Parliamentary commission was held. The result was a new name and a new Victoria Police District known as the Transit Police Division working side by side with real police. This resulted in the Victoria Police getting more equipment bought out of the public transport budget.
Due to privatisation of the rail tram and bus system much to the disgust of most Victorians a private para police unit was not seen in the best public interest (Pre SERCO days) and now the Victoria Police have control (in theory) of the law enforcement on public transport and employed Police Protective Service Officers who are all armed to catch fare evaders.
This mght be a good move for WA's Transit Officers (who mostly are failed police recruits and Wilsons and MSS Security guards in PTA uniforms) to get the respect of the commuting public who will now pay the appropriate fares
To the person who wrote the comment dated March 23, 2014 - you're a fag. @ "failed police recruits" and how would you know this? May be they prefer being Transits than police. They also do, to a lesser extent, some of what police do such as arresting and prosecuting offenders. What a dick head. Read up on the PTA Act to see the powers Transits have before you make stupid comments about them.
ReplyDeletePS I'm not a transit. How can I be? I live in another State.
QF0731
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