EDMONTON — The Edmonton Transit System launched a series of public safety initiatives Tuesday beginning with a zero-tolerance for sexual harassment campaign.
“Everyone should feel safe every time they board a bus or train,” said Dorian Wandzura, the city’s transportation services general manager.
“This campaign is about empowering people so they feel comfortable calling for help, whether they are directly affected or witness an event. We created a campaign that addresses the kind of behaviour that is not acceptable on Edmonton Transit and how to report it.”
The zero-tolerance campaign includes posters that show examples of those kinds of behaviours and how to report them. The posters will be placed on LRT trains and city buses.
The zero-tolerance for sexual harassment campaign was developed after consulation with riders and non-riders, including students, seniors, Edmontonians from cultural and gender groups, as well as sexual minorities.
Last year there were 12 incidents reported on Edmonton Transit.
The campaign also includes training frontline employees on how to identify and respond to inappropriate behaviour, replacing passenger assistance decals on all 94 LRT cars and buses to make them all consistent.
“We’ve changed the decals on there so that people understand that there is no penalty for misuse,” explained Chuck Vandeelpiepers. “We want them to push, if they require assistance, they know they can do that and that help will be there immediately.”
Vandeelpiepers said operators are available on both buses and LRT.
“Even if they’re in the middle car, a motorman there will be able to communicate with them and seek some information and make the appropriate call to the appropriate people.”
The city said this campaign will be handled without the addition of more staff members.
The Safe Ride initiative also includes a survey that asks people why they choose to ride or not ride ETS. Click here to take the ETS survey.
The other ETS campaigns under the Safe Ride theme will also include the reintroduction of Transit Watch, Safe Stranger, and Stop Request.
Comments