Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that it is pioneering a new, approach to keeping the travelling public safe.
The transport body has launched a new and improved 24/7 TravelSafe LiveChat service -allowing passengers and staff to discreetly report criminal or antisocial behaviour on public transport.
People can discreetly report issues in real-time to the LiveChat service from the homepage of the Bee Network app and QR codes on the region’s buses and trams.
TfGM stated that the launch is part of ongoing efforts to keep people safe on the Bee Network, with the new chat service designed to bring Greater Manchester Police (GMP) anf TfGM together to deliver a more effective response to issues across the network.
Specially trained staff with access to an extensive network of more than 2,500 cameras – covering stops, stations and onboard buses and trams – can monitor and co-ordinate the most appropriate response to incidents.
This can include deploying TravelSafe Support and Enforcement Officers (TSEOs), who have body-worn cameras and are specially trained to deal with and deter antisocial behaviour, intervene to deescalate situations and provide safeguarding support for passengers.
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TravelSafe LiveChat is being launched alongside a new branded TfGM campaign raising awareness of the new service.
This will use on-stop and online advertising to reassure customers and help them understand how to use LiveChat, wherever they are on their journey.
It means more than half a million app users are now directly connected, via their devices, to trained police call handlers who can provide advice and/or dispatch a response.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “With this pioneering, first-of-its-kind approach we are demonstrating once again that the safety of everyone who travels or works on the Bee Network is our number one priority.
“We take a zero-tolerance approach to criminal and antisocial activity on our buses, trams, and at our stations, stops and interchanges, and when someone contacts the new TravelSafe LiveChat, they’ll always be speaking to a real person who can provide specialist support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“This is a critical first phase of a new, integrated approach to policing public transport which will provide a more visible presence out on the Bee Network, to reassure the travelling public that we will act swiftly to deter and tackle these behaviours head on.”
Achievements and innovations in public safety will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
