RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on busy rail routes
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).
Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed.
The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour.
GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable.
'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it.
'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action.
'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.'
The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network.
Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable.
'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives.
'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute.
'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges.
'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'

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School, parents on alert after vape sellers approach Fairfield Methodist primary school pupil; Pedestrian injured in multi-vehicle accident in Tampines: Singapore live news
A Primary 4 pupil from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) was approached by two teenagers who attempted to sell an e-vaporiser. The incident occurred on July 25 as the pupil was walking home from school. The teens made their approach at a zebra crossing along Dover Rise, but the child declined the offer and walked away. A car driver was arrested on 30 July following a multi-vehicle accident in Tampines that left a pedestrian injured. The crash, which involved a van and two cars, occurred at around 9.30am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 5 and Tampines Central, near Our Tampines Hub. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. School, parents on alert after vape sellers target primary school pupil A Primary 4 pupil from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) was approached by two teenagers who attempted to sell an e-vaporiser. The incident occurred on July 25 as the pupil was walking home from school. The teens made their approach at a zebra crossing along Dover Rise, but the child declined the offer and walked away. The school's principal, Soh Mei Foong, confirmed to The Straits Times (ST) that the incident was reported to the authorities. She said: "Students were informed of the incident and reminded not to engage with strangers and to inform trusted adults should they be approached by any stranger or suspicious person. "As a precautionary measure, the school will monitor activities in the vicinity of the school premises after school.' News of the encounter was shared with parents through various chat groups. Concerned for student safety, parents urged one another to be vigilant and look out for strangers near the school premises. One parent, who identified herself as Wong, said her daughter in FMS (Secondary) said students were informed during the 28 July morning assembly that a police report had been filed. "I worry for my child's safety because they are young and they probably don't know the consequences of vaping, especially Kpods," said Wong, 49. Kpods are vapes laced with synthetic drugs like etomidate, which can cause serious health effects such as muscle spasms, respiratory depression, and psychosis. For more on the attempted sale of vapes, read here. Tampines, Toa Payoh flats top choices with first-time home buyers in July BTO exercise Flats in Tampines and Toa Payoh emerged as the top choices among first-time home buyers in the latest Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise, according to Housing Board figures. For three-room and larger flats, there was a median of 1.4 first-timer families applying for each unit as of 5pm on 30 July, reflecting steady demand. National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat noted in a Facebook post that the first-timer application rate in this round was slightly higher than the 1.1 seen in the February BTO exercise. However, it remained below the application rates recorded in the three BTO launches in 2024, which ranged from 1.6 to 2.6. According to Chee, by 5pm, about 22,000 BTO applications had been submitted, significantly more than the 13,200 applications received in February. The most sought-after units were the four- and five-room flats at Simei Symphony in Tampines, where nearly eight first-time applicants competed for each of the 100 five-room units, and more than six applied for each of the 140 four-room flats. Simei Symphony, located along Simei Road and Upper Changi Road East, is one of four Standard projects offered in the July exercise. These flats have a five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) – instead of the 10 years for Plus and Prime flats – and will not carry the additional resale restrictions. For more on the July BTO exercise, read here. Underground pipe leak likely cause of dry rising main failure: Toa Payoh fire An underground pipe leak could be the reason why the dry rising main failed to function during the fire at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on 29 July. In a statement issued on 31 July, the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said the possible cause was identified following a joint inspection with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The town council explained that discussions with SCDF pointed to a likely underground pipe leak as the cause of the malfunction. This issue prevented water from being pumped through the dry riser to the upper floors, so firefighters had to manually run hoses up the staircase to the 10th and 11th floors to combat the blaze. The dry rising main is a vertical pipe typically kept dry, and is only filled with water from a fire engine during a fire to provide water to the upper floors. According to the town council, the dry riser at Block 229 had been last tested on 28 Aug, 2024, by an authorised fire prevention and protection contractor. It was was found to be in working condition at the time. The next scheduled inspection is set for 5 Aug. The town council said SCDF requires a hydrostatic test to the dry riser to be conducted annually, which includes checks to detect such leaks. For more on the water supply issues, read here. JB mayor: No formal reports yet on Singaporean-only car wash operators Authorities will revoke the business licence of any car wash operator found to be prioritising Singaporean vehicle owners over local customers, Johor Bahru Mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad warned today. The move comes in response to growing public concern over alleged discriminatory practices. The warning follows a directive issued by the state government after a social media post went viral, claiming that a car wash in the city was only accepting vehicles from Singapore. Speaking to reporters after a Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) meeting, Mohd Haffiz said investigations into the matter will be carried out, although no formal complaints have been received so far. "We will continue to monitor this issue and conduct checks, including revoking the car wash operator's licence if they are found to have rejected local customers in favour of foreign vehicle owners," he said. 3 taken to SGH after Marsiling flat fire Three people were taken to Singapore General Hospital after being assessed for smoke inhalation following a fire at a Housing Board flat in Marsiling on the evening of 30 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 4 Marsiling Road at around 5.50pm. The living room and bedroom of a unit on the 13th floor were on fire. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control using a water jet, SCDF said in a Facebook post the same day. No other injuries were reported. A photo circulating on Facebook showed thick black smoke pouring out from the windows of the affected unit. According to SCDF's preliminary investigations, the fire is believed to have originated from the battery pack of a power-assisted bicycle located in the living room. For more on the Marsiling fire, read here. Pedestrian injured in multi-vehicle accident in Tampines A car driver was arrested on 30 July following a multi-vehicle accident in Tampines that left a pedestrian injured. The crash, which involved a van and two cars, occurred at around 9.30am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 5 and Tampines Central, near Our Tampines Hub. One of the car drivers, a 38-year-old man, was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, said the police. A 60-year-old male pedestrian was injured in the incident and was taken to the hospital conscious. A video circulating on Facebook showed the aftermath of the collision – a white car with a crushed left bumper can be seen next to a van. Plastic debris and metal parts were scattered across the road. In the video, a man can be heard saying, "He's still stuck in the car." For more on the Tampines accident, read here. Retail, F&B likely to be affected as Singapore economy slows in second half of 2025: MAS Singapore's economic growth is projected to slow in the second half of the year, following an unexpectedly strong performance in the first six months, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday (30 July). This could spill over into domestically oriented sectors such as retail, and food and beverage, which have struggled in the first half of the year despite the robust economy growth. These sectors recorded sluggish or even negative growth during the same period. Looking ahead, the MAS expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be "relatively subdued" for the remainder of the year. On the inflation front, MAS noted that rising costs in water prices and health insurance premiums have been offset by easing inflation in most other categories. As a result, core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport costs, remained steady at 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, unchanged from the first quarter. For more on the MAS latest quarterly macroeconomic review, read here. A Primary 4 pupil from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) was approached by two teenagers who attempted to sell an e-vaporiser. The incident occurred on July 25 as the pupil was walking home from school. The teens made their approach at a zebra crossing along Dover Rise, but the child declined the offer and walked away. The school's principal, Soh Mei Foong, confirmed to The Straits Times (ST) that the incident was reported to the authorities. She said: "Students were informed of the incident and reminded not to engage with strangers and to inform trusted adults should they be approached by any stranger or suspicious person. "As a precautionary measure, the school will monitor activities in the vicinity of the school premises after school.' News of the encounter was shared with parents through various chat groups. Concerned for student safety, parents urged one another to be vigilant and look out for strangers near the school premises. One parent, who identified herself as Wong, said her daughter in FMS (Secondary) said students were informed during the 28 July morning assembly that a police report had been filed. "I worry for my child's safety because they are young and they probably don't know the consequences of vaping, especially Kpods," said Wong, 49. Kpods are vapes laced with synthetic drugs like etomidate, which can cause serious health effects such as muscle spasms, respiratory depression, and psychosis. For more on the attempted sale of vapes, read here. Flats in Tampines and Toa Payoh emerged as the top choices among first-time home buyers in the latest Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise, according to Housing Board figures. For three-room and larger flats, there was a median of 1.4 first-timer families applying for each unit as of 5pm on 30 July, reflecting steady demand. National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat noted in a Facebook post that the first-timer application rate in this round was slightly higher than the 1.1 seen in the February BTO exercise. However, it remained below the application rates recorded in the three BTO launches in 2024, which ranged from 1.6 to 2.6. According to Chee, by 5pm, about 22,000 BTO applications had been submitted, significantly more than the 13,200 applications received in February. The most sought-after units were the four- and five-room flats at Simei Symphony in Tampines, where nearly eight first-time applicants competed for each of the 100 five-room units, and more than six applied for each of the 140 four-room flats. Simei Symphony, located along Simei Road and Upper Changi Road East, is one of four Standard projects offered in the July exercise. These flats have a five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) – instead of the 10 years for Plus and Prime flats – and will not carry the additional resale restrictions. For more on the July BTO exercise, read here. Underground pipe leak likely cause of dry rising main failure: Toa Payoh fire An underground pipe leak could be the reason why the dry rising main failed to function during the fire at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on 29 July. In a statement issued on 31 July, the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said the possible cause was identified following a joint inspection with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The town council explained that discussions with SCDF pointed to a likely underground pipe leak as the cause of the malfunction. This issue prevented water from being pumped through the dry riser to the upper floors, so firefighters had to manually run hoses up the staircase to the 10th and 11th floors to combat the blaze. The dry rising main is a vertical pipe typically kept dry, and is only filled with water from a fire engine during a fire to provide water to the upper floors. According to the town council, the dry riser at Block 229 had been last tested on 28 Aug, 2024, by an authorised fire prevention and protection contractor. It was was found to be in working condition at the time. The next scheduled inspection is set for 5 Aug. The town council said SCDF requires a hydrostatic test to the dry riser to be conducted annually, which includes checks to detect such leaks. For more on the water supply issues, read here. An underground pipe leak could be the reason why the dry rising main failed to function during the fire at Block 229 Toa Payoh Lorong 8 on 29 July. In a statement issued on 31 July, the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council said the possible cause was identified following a joint inspection with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The town council explained that discussions with SCDF pointed to a likely underground pipe leak as the cause of the malfunction. This issue prevented water from being pumped through the dry riser to the upper floors, so firefighters had to manually run hoses up the staircase to the 10th and 11th floors to combat the blaze. The dry rising main is a vertical pipe typically kept dry, and is only filled with water from a fire engine during a fire to provide water to the upper floors. According to the town council, the dry riser at Block 229 had been last tested on 28 Aug, 2024, by an authorised fire prevention and protection contractor. It was was found to be in working condition at the time. The next scheduled inspection is set for 5 Aug. The town council said SCDF requires a hydrostatic test to the dry riser to be conducted annually, which includes checks to detect such leaks. For more on the water supply issues, read here. JB mayor: No formal reports yet on Singaporean-only car wash operators Authorities will revoke the business licence of any car wash operator found to be prioritising Singaporean vehicle owners over local customers, Johor Bahru Mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad warned today. The move comes in response to growing public concern over alleged discriminatory practices. The warning follows a directive issued by the state government after a social media post went viral, claiming that a car wash in the city was only accepting vehicles from Singapore. Speaking to reporters after a Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) meeting, Mohd Haffiz said investigations into the matter will be carried out, although no formal complaints have been received so far. "We will continue to monitor this issue and conduct checks, including revoking the car wash operator's licence if they are found to have rejected local customers in favour of foreign vehicle owners," he said. Authorities will revoke the business licence of any car wash operator found to be prioritising Singaporean vehicle owners over local customers, Johor Bahru Mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad warned today. The move comes in response to growing public concern over alleged discriminatory practices. The warning follows a directive issued by the state government after a social media post went viral, claiming that a car wash in the city was only accepting vehicles from Singapore. Speaking to reporters after a Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) meeting, Mohd Haffiz said investigations into the matter will be carried out, although no formal complaints have been received so far. "We will continue to monitor this issue and conduct checks, including revoking the car wash operator's licence if they are found to have rejected local customers in favour of foreign vehicle owners," he said. 3 taken to SGH after Marsiling flat fire Three people were taken to Singapore General Hospital after being assessed for smoke inhalation following a fire at a Housing Board flat in Marsiling on the evening of 30 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 4 Marsiling Road at around 5.50pm. The living room and bedroom of a unit on the 13th floor were on fire. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control using a water jet, SCDF said in a Facebook post the same day. No other injuries were reported. A photo circulating on Facebook showed thick black smoke pouring out from the windows of the affected unit. According to SCDF's preliminary investigations, the fire is believed to have originated from the battery pack of a power-assisted bicycle located in the living room. For more on the Marsiling fire, read here. Three people were taken to Singapore General Hospital after being assessed for smoke inhalation following a fire at a Housing Board flat in Marsiling on the evening of 30 July. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a fire at Block 4 Marsiling Road at around 5.50pm. The living room and bedroom of a unit on the 13th floor were on fire. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control using a water jet, SCDF said in a Facebook post the same day. No other injuries were reported. A photo circulating on Facebook showed thick black smoke pouring out from the windows of the affected unit. According to SCDF's preliminary investigations, the fire is believed to have originated from the battery pack of a power-assisted bicycle located in the living room. For more on the Marsiling fire, read here. Pedestrian injured in multi-vehicle accident in Tampines A car driver was arrested on 30 July following a multi-vehicle accident in Tampines that left a pedestrian injured. The crash, which involved a van and two cars, occurred at around 9.30am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 5 and Tampines Central, near Our Tampines Hub. One of the car drivers, a 38-year-old man, was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, said the police. A 60-year-old male pedestrian was injured in the incident and was taken to the hospital conscious. A video circulating on Facebook showed the aftermath of the collision – a white car with a crushed left bumper can be seen next to a van. Plastic debris and metal parts were scattered across the road. In the video, a man can be heard saying, "He's still stuck in the car." For more on the Tampines accident, read here. A car driver was arrested on 30 July following a multi-vehicle accident in Tampines that left a pedestrian injured. The crash, which involved a van and two cars, occurred at around 9.30am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 5 and Tampines Central, near Our Tampines Hub. One of the car drivers, a 38-year-old man, was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, said the police. A 60-year-old male pedestrian was injured in the incident and was taken to the hospital conscious. A video circulating on Facebook showed the aftermath of the collision – a white car with a crushed left bumper can be seen next to a van. Plastic debris and metal parts were scattered across the road. In the video, a man can be heard saying, "He's still stuck in the car." For more on the Tampines accident, read here. Retail, F&B likely to be affected as Singapore economy slows in second half of 2025: MAS Singapore's economic growth is projected to slow in the second half of the year, following an unexpectedly strong performance in the first six months, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday (30 July). This could spill over into domestically oriented sectors such as retail, and food and beverage, which have struggled in the first half of the year despite the robust economy growth. These sectors recorded sluggish or even negative growth during the same period. Looking ahead, the MAS expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be "relatively subdued" for the remainder of the year. On the inflation front, MAS noted that rising costs in water prices and health insurance premiums have been offset by easing inflation in most other categories. As a result, core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport costs, remained steady at 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, unchanged from the first quarter. For more on the MAS latest quarterly macroeconomic review, read here. Singapore's economic growth is projected to slow in the second half of the year, following an unexpectedly strong performance in the first six months, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday (30 July). This could spill over into domestically oriented sectors such as retail, and food and beverage, which have struggled in the first half of the year despite the robust economy growth. These sectors recorded sluggish or even negative growth during the same period. Looking ahead, the MAS expects gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be "relatively subdued" for the remainder of the year. On the inflation front, MAS noted that rising costs in water prices and health insurance premiums have been offset by easing inflation in most other categories. As a result, core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport costs, remained steady at 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, unchanged from the first quarter. For more on the MAS latest quarterly macroeconomic review, read here.
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As Toronto aims to ban motorized watercraft at popular beach, some blame 'bad actors'
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Bradford said the ban request was spurred by concerns over unlicensed rental companies that operate and park their watercraft along the beach, and "reckless" drivers that put swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders at risk. 'They're a menace to the community,' Bradford said. 'It's a matter of time before somebody gets injured or killed." Earlier this summer, a motorized watercraft exclusion zone was introduced at Hanlan's Point Beach on Centre Island, extending 200 metres off the shore as part of a pilot project for this year's boating season. Some residents of Etobicoke in the city's west end have also started petitions calling for a similar exclusion ban in Humber Bay. Earlier this month, Toronto police carried out an enforcement blitz targeting illegal watercraft rentals and unsafe boating practices in the city, issuing more than 50 tickets for provincial offences and dozens of bylaw charges. 'These guys come out, pay the fine, and just go right back out into their operations and they're making so much money on it,' said Bradford. Police said in an emailed statement that they respond to as many as 10 complaints per day related to unsafe watercraft rentals, including riders steering too close to shorelines and entering designated swim zones. Toronto police say another "huge concern" is that many personal watercraft operators don't have proof of competency, as required by Transport Canada. For people renting a boat or a Jet Ski, that means running through protocols and signing a safety checklist with the rental company. Those operating Jet Skis and similar watercraft within Toronto's harbour from Humber Bay to Ashbridge's Bay also require a permit from PortsToronto known as a 'powered vessel operator's permit,' said Mike Riehl, the authority's director of harbour operations. But some watercraft rental companies say despite following all the rules, they are being lumped in with a few 'bad actors' that are ruining operations for the rest through unsafe business practices. They are urging city council to reconsider the latest ban along Toronto's shores. Raj Mehta, one of the founders of rental company Jetti, said that while he supports cracking down on unsafe and irresponsible operators, watercraft bans at city beaches also penalize businesses like his that operate safely. 'We're at the ramp and on the water almost every day and we witness the safety issues the city is bringing up,' he said. 'There are some operators that should not be operating.' Jetti sends its watercraft out of Humber Bay West, an area outside of PortsToronto's jurisdiction, he said. Mehta said his company follows safety regulations by having insurance, GPS-based speed controls on Jet Skis to respect no wake zones, and issues proof of competency through rental boat safety checklists. 'We use the public dock but we don't actually leave any watercraft in the water … when they come back, we pull them onto trailers and they're out of here,' he said, adding that many other operators leave their watercraft along the shore. 'Anyone can go buy a few Jet Skis and call themselves a rental company and start renting these out because there is no regulation,' he said. 'These are the guys causing the safety issues, these are the people that are not respecting public space.' Mehta said he is willing to work with the city to figure out a solution that would focus on regulation, such as setting up designated launches for personal watercraft away from public beaches and boat launch areas, or leasing space from the city. Despite reaching out to a local councillor and the mayor's office, Mehta said he has not received responses to his proposals and requests. Companies looking to work with the city can reach out and make proposals but 'none of that's happened,' Bradford said, adding that an amendment to his motion to create a stakeholder advisory committee could include rental companies. While Bradford recognizes the entire industry isn't breaking operational and safety rules, based on his observations at Woodbine Beach he believes rental companies aren't interested in working with the city. He said they could look into leasing boat slips across the waterfront if they want to continue their operations. Mehta said his company has already explored renting space from marinas but there are a 'whole bunch of issues' with that option as marinas in the inner harbour fall under PortsToronto's jurisdiction, which requires boaters to have specific permits that would be difficult to obtain for short-term renters. 'Jet Ski usage tends to negatively impact boaters and the boating experience in the harbour, so marinas are unlikely to want to cater to Jet Ski companies,' said Riehl from PortsToronto, adding that no marina in its jurisdiction rents space to such operators. Mehta said he still hopes the city can figure out a solution that prioritizes safe and fair access to the waterfront and doesn't push away those who are trying to follow the rules. 'We just want to get some attention to this because I think it's kind of reached a boiling point and everyone wants something done,' Mehta said. "A lot of our customers are local and a lot of them are also tourists, so there's a lot of impact if this industry is shut down." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025. Vanessa Tiberio, The Canadian Press
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