In December 2024, I was unlawfully assaulted on a Melbourne tram in Brunswick by a drug-affected man. Victoria Police made enquiries, but I was told that the investigation was unable to progress, because there was no CCTV available on the tram.  

Yarra Trams confirmed that older classes of trams used in Melbourne, including B-class trams (the kind of tram that I was assaulted on) do not have any CCTV available and the retrospective fitting of CCTV cameras would require approval and funding from the Department of Transport and Planning. 

According to the Yarra Trams website, 130 of these kinds of trams are still used every single day and it is the most common type of tram used in Melbourne compared to any of the more modern designs. 

Too many people experience anti-social and violent behaviour on public transport, particularly with the rise of attacks on women and other minority groups. In the current state of our world, we simply cannot afford not to have CCTV available on every single tram that is operated in Melbourne. 

While police will not be able to pursue this individual matter, I am driven to use my experience and my voice to help protect my local community and improve the standards of safety.

I urge you to sign this petition so it can be used to push the relevant government organisations to fund the installation of CCTV equipment on every single tram used in Melbourne.  

We all deserve to feel safe on public transport.