CRIME and anti-social behaviour on Bury’s public transport system has been cut by almost one-quarter in the past year.

The number of incidents in the borough fell by 23.8 per cent during 2007-08 while the reduction throughout Greater Manchester for the same period was 23 per cent.

The figures come from the Crime Reduction On Public Transport (CROPT) initiative, which is a multi-agency scheme that develops campaigns to tackle crime and disorder issues in specific areas across Greater Manchester.

Councillor Yvonne Creswell, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) spokeswoman for Bury, said: “These figures reaffirm the fact that instances of crime on public transport are rare and that it is a safe way to travel.

“We now have a patrol and response unit for the bus network and more safety officers than ever before are travelling on Metrolink. Our targeted initiatives and joint operations with Greater Manchester Police are also having the desired effect.”

The most significant results across Greater Manchester show a 35 per cent drop in reported incidents at bus shelters and a 22 per cent drop on rail. The majority of incidents relate to criminal damage and vandalism.

At bus stations, there has been a 34 per cent decrease; on bus services there has been a six per cent decrease and on Metrolink there has been a 23 per cent decrease. The majority of incidents relate to criminal damage and vandalism.

Coun Matthew Colledge, chairman of GMPTA, added: “One of our key policy objectives for the next year is to improve security and safety so I am glad to see that our current initiatives are having a positive impact.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners in local authorities, Greater Manchester Police and the private sector to keep our network safe and secure.”