The deteriorating feeling of safety on the TTC has been a hot topic on social media for the past year, when a string of violent attacks in 2022 and January of this year were recorded and posted to social media, discussed on the news, and witnessed nearly daily by innocent bystanders just trying to get to work. This goes against the recent news that the TTC has been called the best in North America.
From people being pushed onto train tracks, stabbed with ice picks, intimidated, cursed at, and even lit on fire, it’s been a few horrible months for anyone taking the TTC.
In recent months, data has been showing an upturn in public safety on the TTC.
On June 12th, the chief safety officer published a communications report updating the TTC Board on what’s been happening since their increased safety measures. De-escalation training and an increase in officers and security were among some of the initiatives, and the report goes on to show how safety has improved since January.
Offences against customers has gone down by 36 percent with an overall decline in April and less aggression seen in offenses. For them, this is an early indication of positive changes from their initiatives. But customer satisfaction still leaves a lot to be desired.
Customer satisfcation with safety has continued to drop and hovers around 60 percent dissatisfaction as of April. With the TTC hashtag on Tik Toks racking up high numbers, it’s easy to see why. A lot of people don’t feel like there’s enough security and have to take their own safety into their own hands.
Meanwhile data shows that crime has increased by 24 percent across all public transportation in the city, with 200 incidents in May as opposed to 177 in January.