NCJ Number
116152
Date Published
1988
Length
23 pages
Annotation
In 1984, the Dutch public transport system introduced two measures to reduce vandalism, fare-dodging, and aggression.
Abstract
On the tram and metro system about 1,200 unemployed young people were hired and trained to serve a safety, information, and control function. The second measure changed the procedures used by passengers boarding buses: all passengers were required to walk past the driver to have their tickets validated or to purchase new ones. Results of an evaluation of these measures shows that the percentage of fare-dodgers declined. The measures also halted the long-standing trend of increasing vandalism. While the incidence of assault and harassment declined after introduction of the measures, public feelings of insecurity declined only slightly. The changes also resulted in greater passenger satisfaction with opportunities to ask staff for information and have improved the public image of public transportation. While the measures have not recovered their own costs in terms of financial revenues, they have had significant social benefits. These include increased safety and decreased petty crime, savings on unemployment insurance costs, and increased employment and training opportunities, particularly for minorities. 10 notes and 10 references.