More cameras are coming

How to make public transport even safer

Cameras, barrier-free emergency call and increased staff deployment: the Eichenstraße station in the 5th district is the first to be converted.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Public transport in the city is reliable. But to ensure that they remain safe, security is now being increased at underground streetcar stops. With even more cameras, emergency calls and extended staff deployment. Wiener Linien is investing four million euros in this. 

Vienna is not only the most liveable city in the world, but also one of the safest - this is regularly confirmed by various rankings. The high quality of public transport also contributes to this. According to the "Vienna Quality of Life Study 2023", for which more than 8,000 households were surveyed, 87% of people in Vienna are satisfied with the public transport system. But what about the feeling of safety among passengers in the capital?

From left to right: Public Transport City Councillor Peter Hanke (SPÖ), Margareten district head Silvia Jankovic (SPÖ), Wiener Linien boss Alexandra Reinagl, Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), Wiener Linien security employee Dorian P. and Stadtwerke deputy manager Monika Unterholzner.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Wiener Linien now wants to improve and further expand its security infrastructure. To this end, around four million euros are being invested in the underground streetcar stops. These consist of the stations at Eichenstraße, Matzleinsdorfer Platz, Blechturmgasse, Kliebergasse and Laurenzgasse. The plans for Eichenstraße in Margareten were presented on Tuesday. This stop will be the first to be brought up to date.

Mayor Ludwig: "Safety of the Viennese has top priority"
Mayor Michael Ludwig, public transport councillor Peter Hanke, district leader Silvia Jankovic (all SPÖ), Wiener Linien boss Alexandra Reinagl and Stadtwerke deputy director Monika Unterholzner were also present. "The safety of the Viennese population is my top priority," emphasized Mayor Ludwig. 142 cameras and two barrier-free emergency calls per platform will be installed from 2025. The lines 1, 6, 18, 62 and the associated stations Eichenstraße, Matzleinsdorfer Platz, Blechturmgasse, Kliebergasse and Laurenzgasse already have a high volume of passengers: On an average working day, Wiener Linien records around 60,000 passengers boarding and alighting at these stations. The expansion of the subway with the future U2 Matzleinsdorferplatz station and numerous construction projects in this area will further increase passenger volumes2029 .

Two million

Every day, a total of two million passengers travel on Wiener Linien buses, streetcars and subway trains. At peak times, around 1000 vehicles are on the move with passengers at the same time in Vienna.

14,000 cameras monitor the public transport network
According to Wiener Linien, a total of around 14,000 cameras are in use in stations and vehicles to ensure the safety of passengers and employees. In the subway stations alone, almost 3,000 cameras continuously record what is happening. The recordings are automatically deleted after 48 hours. All Wiener Linien elevators are also equipped with video surveillance and an emergency intercom so that help can be called quickly in an emergency. "330 service and security staff are dedicated exclusively to passenger safety and service," it says.

330 security and service employees are on the move throughout Vienna's public transport network, 120 of whom work directly for Wiener Linien's security service.

(Bild: Johannes Zinner)

The aim of the security team is to ensure compliance with the house rules and to intervene to de-escalate difficult situations. This is also confirmed by security employee Dominik S. (see interview below). There have been 59 assaults on Wiener Linien employees so far in 2024. The reasons for assaults vary: influence of alcohol or other narcotics, missing tickets or even checking the house rules. One thing is clear: every assault is one too many.

Wiener Linien reports the cases to the police and shows "zero tolerance" for such behavior. It does not matter whether the assault is verbal or physical. Wiener Linien charges the perpetrators for costs incurred due to sick leave and emergency services and, if necessary, also sues for these costs, according to a Krone inquiry. In any case, the number of attacks is falling sharply - there were 168 attacks in 2023 and 207 in 2022.

Dominik S. (29) is one of 120 security employees at Wiener Linien

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Wiener Linien security staff: "We are there to de-escalate"

"Krone": "What makes your job so special?"

Dominik S: I've been working in the security team for three years now and I really enjoy my work. Every day is different, just like every passenger is different.

What are your main tasks?

We work on different routes on the subway, streetcar and bus throughout the city. There are two of us on patrol duty. The most important thing is always the safety of the passengers.

Have there ever been any dicey situations for you?

Of course, there are occasionally passengers who don't behave appropriately. Maybe they're drunk and then maybe they get rowdy. But we are mainly there to de-escalate. We also wear bodycams, which in my experience have a very de-escalating effect. The mask requirement was a very stressful time for us. But it worked well, the majority of passengers were disciplined because there was also an understanding for the measure.