2 July 2007
SPT Chair seeks to assure public after airport terrorist attack
Today, SPT chairman Alistair Watson sought to allay fears about travelling on public transport in the aftermath of the attacks on Saturday. He made specific reference to those who are regular users of the Subway and Buchanan bus station.
He said that a sense of proportion had to be applied to the events – on the one hand there had to be increased vigilance but that life had to go on as near as possible to normal. Anything else, he suggested, would be allowing terrorists and their actions to intimidate us.
The Chairman said that measures taken by SPT since the appointment of the new Chief Executive, Ron Culley in April last year, showed that the public could be assured that SPT was doing the best it could to address the threats evident in today’s politics.
These measures include:
- The creation of a full time Head of Security post;
- A full independent analysis of security risks which could affect the Subway and Buchanan bus station and other SPT operations and an action plan to address the risks identified;
- The appointment of British Transport Police to provide round the clock patrols of the Subway from 3 January this year;
- A full scale emergency exercise - Operation Crystal - carried out in conjunction with all emergency services to test emergency procedures on the Subway which took place on 2 June.
Councillor Watson said: "I want to assure the travelling public who use Buchanan bus station and the Subway that SPT take the threat of terrorism extremely seriously and we have taken action to increase security in every area of our operations.
"We now have British Transport police patrolling the Subway for the first time in its history and we have current plans which are being implemented to increase security. In today's times there can be no hundred per cent guarantees but the public should know we are doing what is necessary".
SPT's Head of Security, Donnie MacLeod, a former Strathclyde Police Superintendent with 31 years service, said that specific action had been taken following the events on Saturday.
- The incidence of normal surveillance patrols on the Subway and Buchanan bus station have been increased in frequency;
- A special briefing on the need for staff vigilance in these times had been issued to all staff;
- The head of security has visited every Subway station and Buchanan bus station to advise that the Subway was now on a severe footing concerning the possibilities of an incident
- Measures to restrict the access of private vehicles to the bus station and Subway have been implemented today and medium term plans to protect station forecourts from attack have been brought forward.
Donnie MacLeod said: "Of course we are conscious that there is now an increased threat of an incident but we have taken specific measures to deal with that since the attack on Glasgow Airport on Saturday. We aim to be pro-active in dealing with the threat of terrorism. We have tried and tested procedures for that although the events on Saturday call for increasing vigilance. In that respect we appeal to the public to work with our staff and become our additional eyes and ears to warn us of anything that seems suspicious."
ends