More arrested for crimes on public transport

SINGAPORE — More people were arrested for committing crimes on and involving public transport in the last three years.

A total of 817 people were arrested for such crimes last year, an increase of 30 per cent compared to the 625 people arrested in 2011, according to data from the Public Transport Security Committee.

In 2012, 763 people were arrested.

This is mainly due to a significant increase in the number of spot checks.

Molest, theft and bicycle thefts at places such as MRT stations and bus interchanges were the most common crimes reported.

Dr Park Byung Joon, head of Urban Transport Management Programme, School of Business, SIM University, said there is a need to strengthen security measures.

He said: “Singapore public transportation is still very safe — those kinds of crimes can happen everywhere...however when those crimes are increasing, it may be better to increase the security (in public transport, so that passengers can feel more secure).”

TransCom, a specialised unit of the police, said it is working closely with the Land Transport Authority and other partners to formulate and implement security policies and measures. CHANNEL NEWSASIA