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Case Study: Right Track program
Snake handling and urban art workshops may seem like unusual ways to reduce the amount of antisocial and dangerous behaviour on our rail lines, but the PTA’s highly-regarded Right Track program is anything but ordinary
– and neither are its results.
A recent evaluation of Right Track – which was created in 2006 in response to increasing levels of unsafe and antisocial behaviour across the network – shows the recorded incidents of trespass have more than halved, while the number of rail-related fatalities and serious injuries in WA has significantly decreased during this time.
The PTA’s Right Track program (including Stay Off The Tracks) is a targeted education program and community outreach initiative focussed on young people (aged 10 to 17). It encourages them to become responsible for their own safety and to make positive choices around public transport, and uses a multi-faceted, highly-collaborative approach to help reduce unwanted behaviours.
Since its inception, more than 100,000 students across the metropolitan area have participated in the Right Track program. Initially targeted at the Armadale and Midland lines, it was so successful that it was extended across the entire network in 2008.
Right Track continuously seeks to help mentor and educate young people on the positive roles they can play in their community by working with youth organisations and local councils to deliver various engagement programs. These offer an invaluable opportunity for Transit Officers (TOs) - rail and bus security officers to engage with young people and build
positive relationships.
A very popular snake-handling initiative helped build positive links between TOs and young people. Most recently, a series of Urban Art workshops have been educating young people about the dangers and risks associated with trespass to graffiti, and the distinction between tagging, and legal, socially-acceptable street art.
Right Track has been endorsed by the School Standards and Curriculum Council and helps students achieve their WA Certificate of Education. In addition, the education program is mapped to Certificate II in General Education for Adults (a Year 10 equivalency) for young people not currently engaged with mainstream education pathways, allowing for a broader demographic to be reached.
The latest development involves collaboration with the Department of Corrective Services’ Prevention and Diversion Youth Justice Team. While based on the existing in-class education resources, this new program will be delivered by Juvenile Justice Teams and is tailored to the charges a young person may face, the behaviour they have displayed, and the train or bus service they regularly use.
