Threatening, antisocial or abusive behaviour towards staff
Request ID: FOI-3522-2223 Date published: 26 April 2023
You asked
The information I would like to receive:
Figures for the number of incidents on TfL bus, underground and overground routes relating to threatening, antisocial or abusive behaviour towards staff. I am asking for information for 2021, 2022, and up to March of 2023. If possible, please could the underground incidents be broken down into on which line the incident took place.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-3522-2223/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27 March 2023 asking for information about incidents of threatening, antisocial or abusive behaviour towards staff. Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. Please see the attached spreadsheet showing data for 2021, 2022 and 2023 to date. We classify all reports of work-related violence and aggression as either physical assault, threat or verbal abuse. We have published a pan-TfL strategy with the long term aim to eradicate work-related violence and aggression. All our staff have the right to do their job without fear or intimidation and we do not tolerate any violence, aggression or threatening behaviour towards them. We take workplace violence extremely seriously and know that it is underreported, so we always encourage staff to report any instance of abuse whether physical or non-physical so that preventative measures can be taken, and the strongest penalties brought against offenders. Many reports of aggression and abuse towards bus drivers are captured when they call into the Network Management Control Centre and ask for police assistance. They are not always directly reported by the bus driver themselves to us. There may also be an element of under reporting from DLR staff during 2021 as they were some technical problems with the provision of data during most of that year. If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal. Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
