Buses show pop videos in bid to beat the vandals

BUS giant First has a new weapon in the battle against thugs and vandals - pop videos.

The videos, which aim to calm down aggressive and rowdy young passengers, are already proving a big success on Glasgow buses.

Twenty buses have been fitted with £5000 flat-screen TVs which play pop videos, movie trailers and adverts as part of a pilot project.

The system is the brainchild of Brian Main, of En-Route Media, who set up the scheme with financial backing from the Scottish Executive and the city council.

He has landed a two-year deal with First and hopes to roll out the scheme to the company's entire fleet if it proves a success.

Mr Main said: "I was walking down Byres Road when I saw a really busy bus and came up with the idea.

"It's an ideal advertising opportunity for local companies because you have a captive audience. People are generally bored on bus journeys.

"It has the added bonus of being an effective weapon against anti-social behaviour.

"It's been proven that music has a calming effect on people. It's a nice distraction.

"Customers can also choose the music they want to hear. The key thing is to keep people entertained."

Mr Main said a driver on a really busy route in the east end told him everyone was glued to the screen.

"The only danger is passengers might miss their stop," he added.

"We don't want it to be intrusive though. We're relying on customer feedback about what they want to see."

Among the pop videos showing are ones by Destiny's Child and Eminem, and movie trailers for Meet the Fockers and Magic Roundabout.

And passengers will soon be able to log onto a website and make a birthday request for a loved one, to be screened on the bus.

Passenger Claire Calder, 17, from Maryhill, said: "I think it will stop some people carrying on, but they need to play newer music."

Philip Benjamin, 66, of Scotstounhill, said: "It's a good idea but it would be nice to see a variety of music.

Something relaxing like Dean Martin."

However, the screens received a cautious welcome from another bus passenger.

John Green, 54, a former bus driver, from Balornock, said: "Anything that helps stop the vandalism is a good thing - but I think it will take more than TV screens to stop it."

A First spokeswoman said: "It is hoped these screens will keep young people occupied while on board, which will hopefully help to curb anti-social behaviour."

Co-op bosses recently announced plans to play classical music to drive gangs away from stores.

Their pilot scheme has already worked as a deterrent at the Newton Mearns store on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Evening Times 28th February 2005

Caroline Wilson