Improved TravelSafe LiveChat to launch in October across Bee Network

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) will launch a new dedicated TravelSafe LiveChat in October, which will allow Bee Network passengers to report concerns while travelling.

The launch builds on the existing Greater Manchester Police (GMP) LiveChat as part of ongoing efforts to improve safety and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour on public transport across the city-region. The enhanced integrated 24/7 service will allow people to quickly and discreetly report crime and other issues onboard buses, trams and surrounding stops and get advice from a team of trained call handlers within minutes.

LiveChat will act as a single point of contact for passengers wanting to report an issue. Specialist officers from Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) 24/7 Operational Control Centre, will work with GMP to determine the appropriate level of support. This could range from providing advice or deploying TravelSafe Support and Enforcement Officers (TSEOs) or police officers to respond.

The most recent TfGM passenger survey shows that the perception of safety on the Bee Network is improving, with 78% of passengers surveyed saying they are satisfied with the level of safety on the network – up from 74% in 2023.

The TravelSafe Partnership – led by TfGM and GMP – will continue working hard to reassure the travelling public, particularly women, girls, vulnerable people and those travelling at night.

Police and transport staff across the Partnership dedicate more than 15,000 hours a week patrolling the bus and Metrolink networks, day and night, seven days a week, and are supported by more than 3,800 CCTV cameras across Greater Manchester’s bus stations and interchanges, tram stops and railway stations.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“No-one should be made to be or feel unsafe while travelling or working on the Bee Network, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to crime and antisocial behaviour on our buses, trams and at our stops, stations and interchanges.

“Launching in October when darker nights draw in, TravelSafe LiveChat represents the first phase of a new, more integrated approach to policing public transport and reassuring the travelling public that we will act swiftly to deter and address these behaviours head on.

“We know that safety remains a real concern for people, and as we welcome more people onto the Bee Network, I want to reassure everyone that we are committed to doing more and going further to ensure everyone can use public transport with confidence.”

Set to launch around the onset of darker nights in October, the new LiveChat function is part of a wider approach to improving the ways and speed in which incidents can be reported, handled and responded to.

As announced in March, both TfGM and GMP intend to move from a partnership to a more integrated working arrangement which would see the creation of what would effectively see the Bee Network become an “11^th District” – in addition to the 10 existing policing districts – with its own command team, leadership and dedicated resources. This new way of working will build on established and successful multi-agency collaborations in Greater Manchester, such as Operations Avro and Vulcan, to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour at hotspots on the public transport network.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods, from Greater Manchester Police, said: 

“Transport safety is a key priority for Greater Manchester Police, and we are committed to supporting the Mayor’s plans for a more connected and greener city, through tackling crime and antisocial behaviour on the transport networks.

“It is vital that everyone who comes to Greater Manchester feels safe to travel through the area on public transport. We are clear in the role it plays with TfGM, and others, in ensuring if passengers have any safety issues then there is a rapid response provided and the introduction of TravelSafe LiveChat will play a key part in this service.”