Not through the TfL press centre yet, though, but it’s on the BBC. It’s seemingly a ban on the drinking of alcohol rather than the carrying of it, which is an important distinction, particularly if you want to take the bus home from the shops. There’s one omission though:
Mr Johnson said: “I firmly believe that if we drive out so-called minor crime then we will be able to get a firm grip on more serious crime.
“That’s why from 1 June the drinking of alcohol will be banned from the tube, tram, bus, and Docklands Light Railway.”
What about London Overground trains? From Gunnersbury to Richmond I can presumably get on the Overground and crack a can open, but if I get on the District Line train on the same route I get nicked, is that it? Also National Rail seems to be excluded, presumably because the Mayor has no powers there. Not that that stopped him attacking their fare policy during the campaign.
As ever, I’d like to see the exact wording of the ban and the legal background behind it, if anyone notices one.
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The problem with this sort of thing is enforcement surely. Buses and tube carriages are enclosed spaces, which depend heavily on informal codes of conduct and policing. If people do not view the rule as valid for that space, they are unlikely to observe it, regardless of the law.
Watching bus drivers having to stop buses and phone the police, because teenagers are misbehaving, is an awkward experiecnce, that inconveniences everyone, and presumably creates stress for the drivers. What actually is going to happen if two men on their way to a football match open a can of beer on the top-deck?
Seems like an eminently sensible idea to me. What’s not to like?
“Also National Rail seems to be excluded, presumably because the Mayor has no powers there” Yes, presumably that’ll be why…
“Not that that stopped him attacking their fare policy during the campaign” Well, many Londoners commute into central London everyday on national rail lines. Therefore, it seems entirely reasonable for Boris to speak up for his constituents’ interests in this respect, don’t you?