The City of Calgary announced a series of amendments to its transit bylaws, which aim to increase safety for riders, operators, and staff.
As of yesterday, a number of stricter transit rules are in effect, ranging from increased fines to revised definitions of transit offences. The city council approved the amendments to Transit Bylaw 4M81 in the hope that transit peace officers will have more tools available when dealing with unsafe behaviours.
Under the revised bylaws, four new offences have been added.
Verbal harassment, threats, and intimidation directed at transit operators, riders, and staff are now offences.
New offences have also been introduced to address individuals caught tampering with or making fake copies of valid transit passes and those carrying a visible weapon on the transit system.
The other new offence addresses loitering and suspicious behaviour, which targets those who have paid a transit fare but may not be using it for its intended purpose. To address loitering concerns, the city also introduced a revised definition of “loitering,” hoping to empower transit peace officers to approach and manage unsafe situations.
Increased fines have also been introduced for harassment, threats, and intimidation directed at operators, riders, and staff.
Transit peace officers now have the authority to ask riders for proof of age to prevent older riders from exploiting the free fare benefit available to those 12 years of age and under. The city shared that transit officers will use discretion when dealing with minors.
Marcia Gonder, acting chief of transit public safety, shared in a news release that the city is prioritizing safety concerns regarding the transit system.
“Ensuring a safe, reliable and welcoming transit system is a high priority for The City of Calgary. These changes will give transit peace officers the necessary tools to address social disorder and reduce incidents affecting riders and transit operators,” said Gonder.
Gonder continued to share that officers will exercise greater caution when supporting vulnerable transit users.
“Officers will use their discretion when applying these bylaw changes and will continue to take an ‘education first’ approach, particularly when supporting vulnerable users,” Gonder said.