Calgary council approves changes to transit bylaw aimed at improving safety

Calgary council has approved changes to the city's transit bylaw that will double fines for intimidation and crack down on riders who loiter.  

Council unanimously passed seven amendments to Transit Bylaw 4M81 on Tuesday in an effort to boost public safety.

The changes include:

• A revised definition of "loitering" to empower peace officers to addressing potentially unsafe situations while ensuring that any actions taken are fair and appropriate;
• A new offence to address loitering and suspicious behaviour by individuals who have paid the fare but are not using transit for its intended purpose;
• A new offence for verbal harassment, threats and intimidation aimed at transit operators, riders and staff;
• Increased fines for harassment, threats or intimidation directed at operators, riders and staff;
• A new offence for tampering with or making fake copies of valid transit passes;
• The authority for transit peace officers to ask riders for proof of age. This amendment will prevent older riders from abusing the free fare benefit intended for those aged 12 years and under. Officers will use their discretion when dealing with minors; and,
• A new offence for carrying a visible weapon on the transit system.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek hopes the changes will help bylaw officers feel empowered to lead with a more compassionate approach, saying she wants the officers to make sure that they are "understanding the type of position that an individual is in" before they react in a way that might not be appropriate.

"I have faith that the training and the compassion that exists within our officers will put us in a good place," she said.

 "We are making sure that the Calgary police service is able to focus on the criminal element, and that people in positions of vulnerability or crisis are being met with the care that they need by officers and with outreach workers." 

Others, including Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, expressed some concerns over the definition of 'loitering,' but said that issue will continue to be addressed. 

"There was a number a number of anomalies in the inconsistencies in the by law itself, concerning the LRT safety on platforms and when a person that’s supposed to be on a platform and when they’re on a platform how are they safe and secure," he said. 

"What we heard from administration today is that they're going to align the two bylaws together, bring it back in the second quarter of 2025 where, again, there shouldn't be any confusion as to what loitering really means." 

A report sent to city council said the goal is to support both the physical and mental-well being of transit operators.

"Calgary Transit employs more than 2,500 operators. To date, administration has heard from more than 800 operators that personal safety is a primary concern in their daily work lives," a report to council said.

"Behaviours experienced by operators include harassment, open drug use, unpredictable behaviour and social disorder and these behaviours may also impact other transit employees."