The Toronto Transit Commission is working on a new app that will allow riders of its public transportation to easily report harassment in real time. With the app, riders will be able to take a discreet picture of the person who is assaulting or harassing someone and submit the report immediately. This method would work far more effectively than pressing an emergency strip and potentially scaring them off before being able to capture an image or footage of the event in progress.
From the CBC’s report:
The Toronto Transit Commission is working on a new app that would allow riders to discreetly take a photo of a person who is harassing or assaulting someone — and immediately submit a report.
TTC CEO Andy Byford said he hopes the app will be a less obvious alternative to pressing the emergency strip on trains, buses or streetcars. The app should roll out by the end of the year, he said.
Both iPhone and Android users should be able to get the app by the end of 2016. Having the app available is just a third of the battle, the rest of it will be making people aware it exists and getting them to use it. It’s great to see the TTC step up to work on a way to make this easier for everyone, and hopefully help prevent future incidents.
