• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

I think all Londoners would agree that this is a critical issue - safety in public places, and the fact that many of our National Rail stations are dingy, poorly lit, insecure places that people quite often go out of their way not to use, because of their sense of insecurity. I was wondering if you would be prepared to name and shame operating companies which are doing least in this area, and perhaps, at the same time, applaud the good work of some of those who are doing quite good work. I think that Southern, for example, has at...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

They might even find, Chair, that people start using their services in greater numbers if they feel more secure on them. Would you be interested in exploring the extension of the Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) pilot into National Rail services, where cooperative rail companies indicate they are prepared to support that?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

One of the successes of the late, lamented Connex South East was actually to encourage their staff, particularly the drivers, to become special constables. Is that something you would take up with the train operating companies and encourage them there, because Connex certainly said it made a significant difference to - not just having them as special constables, but actually to the observations that their staff made as trained constables?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Can I take you back to answer you gave to Jennette Arnold on CCTV. Not too long ago, a London bus driver was stabbed in an incident of road rage, which no doubt, you will recall. The CCTV system on his bus did not work. As Chairman of TfL, would you accept the same sort of responsibility which you wish to impose upon the train companies?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Even with the bus TOCU, your officers found themselves enforcing lane discipline amongst the contractors at Vauxhall Cross when work was being done there, which I do not think had originally been envisaged. How would you make sure that the officers are used for the purposes that you intend them for, and they do not get diverted onto making sure other people are doing the jobs they should be doing?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

It is quite clear that the TOC's regard it as, for them, a low priority. I think it is safe to say most Londoners do not.

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

I think we are all agreed on this issue in this chamber. One of the answers that the TOC's always give on this is that when they do their customer surveys, their customers always rate their highest priorities as being better and more reliable train services, which in a way is not too surprising, given it is a TOC that is asking that question, and maybe the customers do not actually relate safety to a train operating company, as obviously they should. When you do your London opinion surveys, do you include or would you include specific questions about safety...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

Yes, I agree. We are moving, hopefully, very slowly towards a London Rail Authority. Do you envisage, if and when that comes about, that we can bring in a London Transport Police Authority of some description and that we can then move to a stage where we are actually levying a precept on the train operating companies, rather than leaving them to determine what the priority and what funding they are prepared to put into it?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

I think one of the problems with security at stations is the mixed responsibility of the train operators and Network Rail and, up until this next year, I think, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). One of the difficulties we have is that some of the visible structures are Network Rail responsibilities, and as John (Biggs) said, the train operators are starting to get better on things like security and cleaning up in their stations, such as railway bridges right in the middle of town centres or in high-profile locations. Do you think TfL could do some work talking to Network...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 15 December 2004

I welcome your reply. I have a couple of concerns that are bubbling to the surface, and that is a lot of the work that is going on is targeted at young people, and I recently had the experience ' and it is still going on ' about trying to get an ASBO actually to bring about better behaviour by a number of adults, and it is clear from the experience to date that ASBOs actually are not the tool to use for adults who, for whatever reasons, are causing a disturbance and making their neighbours' lives a misery. Would...