Why SNP government is right to consider banning violent thugs from Scotland's railways
Better to ban violent thugs from the railways than to ban men from women-only carriages or allow women to be scared away
In 2022, the then Scottish transport minister Jenny Gilruth spoke movingly about women having to avoid catching “the last train to Fife because it’s full of drunk men who will squeeze in beside you despite the fact you are surrounded by empty seats”, saying there were parts of the public transport network “where women are scared to go because of men’s behaviour”.
In London, sexual harassment and assaults have become such a problem that there have been calls for women-only carriages to be introduced.
Now Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has announced she has accepted several recommendations made by a working group of police, train companies and unions designed to improve safety on Scotland’s railways. These include exploring the idea of football-style banning orders for people convicted of sexual crimes, assaulting staff, theft and other offences on trains. Restrictions could be placed on people from using services and stations at certain times and places, rather than a blanket ban.
Thugs returning to crime scene
The working group’s report noted that there was currently “little to prevent someone who has committed an offence while using the railway from continuing [to] access those services, which can lead to staff and passengers feeling distressed and anxious”. It is neither fair nor just to simply allow a thug to return to the scene of their crime so they can repeatedly intimidate their victims in their place of work.
Clearly such a ban would be hard to strictly enforce, and might only be used as an aggravating factor if the person commits another crime. However, the same can be said of driving bans, which don’t actually stop someone getting in a car.
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The shame of being banned from using a train – which could be difficult to explain away in social situations – may well have a significant effect on behaviour, particularly for those who act in unacceptable ways when drunk which they regret on becoming sober.
Banning all men from some carriages might seem extreme, but if women fear for their safety we could end up with men-only carriages instead. It’s surely far better to ban the violent thugs, and allow law-abiding passengers and staff to go about their business in peace.