In these increasingly energy-conscious, pollution-aware times it is more and more important that people use public transport.

Some do so willingly, some because they have no choice in the matter. Others have to be encouraged to leave their cars at home.

Whichever category they fall into, however, they should all be able to enjoy their bus and train journeys without fear of assault or intimidation.

It is a depressing sign of the times that Northern Rail is having to spend money on hiring uniformed private security guards to ride alongside train passengers on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines and that police officers and Community Support Officers are to ride "shotgun" on Bradford's buses.

There has been a series of incidents on the trains involving unprovoked abuse of staff and passengers, while the buses are increasingly under attack from children, with 15 cases of missiles being thrown at vehicles in the last two weeks alone.

This wanton vandalism is costly - £5,000 in just a fortnight, which will almost inevitably have to be passed on to passengers in the form of increased fares sooner or later. Taking buses out of service for repair causes inconvenience to customers. But most important of all, attacks on them are very dangerous because they distract drivers, who have a difficult enough job as it is given the conditions on Bradford's busy roads.

The vandals who attack the buses and the yobs who cause trouble on the trains must be stopped. These two initiatives should show the troublemakers that the authorities mean business and help to restore the confidence of the travelling public.

  • Click here to see story