Smoking on Public Transport 1 July 2018 at 4:27PM in Public transport & cycling 2 replies 1K views

T-G-C

It is quite rare for me to use public transport, as I drive, however whilst it was under MOT, I decided to use the buses around London for a week.

I was shocked to discover three people, two in the same day, smoking a tobacco cigarette on the bus, with the other smoking what can be described as a blunt.

I asked the driver about this at the terminating stop and said there is nothing he can do, the CCTV records their activity and the bus operator is liable to prosecute.

I didn't appreciate spending almost £2 per fare, to be breathing in second-hand smoke. People complain about fuel costs, but I'd spent more on buses within that week than I would a whole month on petrol.

How can this be allowed? We've had a smoking ban active for over 10 years and we're still seeing people smoking in a confined public space, breathing in toxins that I have otherwise chosen not to pump by blood with.

Has anyone else had this experience? Could the police arrest someone for doing this or is it considered as a civil matter?

custardy

T-G-C wrote: »

It is quite rare for me to use public transport, as I drive, however whilst it was under MOT, I decided to use the buses around London for a week.

I was shocked to discover three people, two in the same day, smoking a tobacco cigarette on the bus, with the other smoking what can be described as a blunt.

I asked the driver about this at the terminating stop and said there is nothing he can do, the CCTV records their activity and the bus operator is liable to prosecute.

I didn't appreciate spending almost £2 per fare, to be breathing in second-hand smoke. People complain about fuel costs, but I'd spent more on buses within that week than I would a whole month on petrol.

How can this be allowed? We've had a smoking ban active for over 10 years and we're still seeing people smoking in a confined public space, breathing in toxins that I have otherwise chosen not to pump by blood with.

Has anyone else had this experience? Could the police arrest someone for doing this or is it considered as a civil matter?

It a law,so not a civil matter.
So did you contact the Police and if not,how are they to prosecute?

T-G-C

custardy wrote: »

It a law,so not a civil matter.
So did you contact the Police and if not,how are they to prosecute?

I asked the driver whether I should call 101 (non-emergency) and report the incident, so that the bus operator could provide CCTV to the police.

He assured me that the matter was reported to CentreComm at the time of the incident and that it was down to the bus operator to prosecute. There was no indication it was actually reported to the police or under investigation.

I contacted the bus operator directly, however they said that the outcome of a report made by persons other than myself, assuming he was referring to the driver, cannot be discussed with a third party. However, they cited their policies and assured me, in a non-specific context, that should an incident of such nature occur, which it did of course, the CCTV footage and the driver's own report would have been processed according to their strict procedures.