Closed petition: Make violence against transport workers a specific criminal offence

Closed on 28 January 2026

We call on the Government to make violence against transport workers a specific criminal offence in England and Wales. Transport workers can experience high levels of violence and abuse, putting their safety at risk, which must be stopped.

Research by TSSA union found a prevalence of workplace violence experienced by transport workers:

- Over half of respondents reported experiencing physical or verbal violence in the past year;
- 95% of respondents reported receiving verbal threats or abuse;
- 40% of respondents reported incidents involving weapons.

The RSSB Health & Safety Report 2023/24 found that assaults on train staff have increased, despite passenger journeys not returning to pre-pandemic levels.