The TTC has rolled out a new app that will give riders a discreet way to report harassment and crime that takes place on the transit system.
The SafeTTC App, which was officially launched on Wednesday, allows users to report incidents directly to transit control with the tap of a button or, alternatively, contact police in the event of an emergency.
According to the TTC, those using the free app will be able to send text and photos or videos to transit control to help them better respond to and investigate incidents.
If the user enters the information when they are in the subway system and without internet, it will be automatically submitted once they have internet access again.
The app also includes a drop-down menu that allows users to easily identify the vehicle that they are travelling in and relay that information to authorities.
Users will have the option of submitting their contact details or reporting an incident anonymously.
“I think it is necessary. By statistics and antidotal evidence we hear from people who ride the system, incidents do occur,” TTC Chair Josh Colle told CP24 on Wednesday. “We wish they didn’t but it is public space and just as they happen on the streets of Toronto they happen on our buses and subways and streetcars.”
The new app will be monitored 24/7 by staff at transit control, who will then be able to investigate incidents themselves or call in the police.
In addition to the new app, the TTC has also launched a website to urge its riders to report harassment whenever they see it occur in the transit system.
The website features the stories of a number of riders who were sexually assaulted, robbed or threatened while using the TTC.
Speaking with CP24, Colle said that the hope of both initiatives is to ultimately “make the system safer” for everyone.
