According to the latest statistics revealed by De Telegraaf, Dutch public transport workers face more violent attacks from passengers while working. In 2023, a total of 1,042 incidents of violence against NS train staff were reported, an 8% increase compared to 2022.
NS executives called violent attacks against employees "shocking and unacceptable."
NS director Eelco van Asch said the violence against his colleagues was "shocking and unacceptable". The company said that while the number of violent attacks reported in 2023 is higher, it is likely to be a small fraction of the true number of incidents.
2023 marks the third consecutive year of an increase in such violence. In 2020, a total of 661 reports were received, significantly less than the current more than 1,000 incidents of violence against train staff per year.
Verbal abuse of NS staff is not included in the numbers.
The figures on violent crimes against NS workers are alarming enough, but the figures revealed by de Telegraaf may only scratch the surface of the violence faced by public transport workers. Verbal abuse and less serious physical altercations are not included in the data – only so-called category A violence that falls under the criminal law is registered by the company.
In 2023, NS staff had to call the police more than 13,000 times due to thousands of altercations. The company said it was taking steps to protect employees and reduce the dangers to workers, but did not elaborate on how it planned to respond to violence against train workers.
This article is compiled by the Sino-Dutch Business Daily, **Please indicate the source!