Just thought I'd start a thread on this as it's something which has come up once in awhile and is continued to be promised to be improved but nothing is changing.

Haymarket Bus Station tonight (at around 7pm) was an absolute disgrace; drunks shouting abuse at people outside the Junction, homeless people sleeping in the doorway of M&S, drunks just wandering around causing issues between the stands (no doubt begging again) and it's not even late. 

Absolutely disgusting for a major city centre bus station with absolutely zero security - I'm convinced this place used to have management on 24/7 even if he sat in the booth at the Eldon Square end.

First time I've left, and jumped on the Metro for a few stops and waited at South Gosforth instead as I couldn't be chewed with the hassle for 20 minutes (mistimed it) and I'm not a vulnerable pensioner, young or a woman who imo are more at risk - Kim McGuinness likes to tell everyone at every chance, at least anyway.

It's not a unique scenario as I know Stanley is a war zone, Blakelaw currently hasn't zero buses, Meadowell is regularly having buses pulled, the Metro is as bad as it's ever been and I'm sure that list could go on. 

Surely something has been done now? Not with franchising in god knows whenever it is. It's a complete mess and worse than I can ever remember. There's no excuse for zero visible staff in either Haymarket Metro or Haymarket Bus Station imo.

(Yesterday, 7:57 pm)Storx wrote Just thought I'd start a thread on this as it's something which has come up once in awhile and is continued to be promised to be improved but nothing is changing.

Haymarket Bus Station tonight (at around 7pm) was an absolute disgrace; drunks shouting abuse at people outside the Junction, homeless people sleeping in the doorway of M&S, drunks just wandering around causing issues between the stands (no doubt begging again) and it's not even late. 

Absolutely disgusting for a major city centre bus station with absolutely zero security - I'm convinced this place used to have management on 24/7 even if he sat in the booth at the Eldon Square end.

First time I've left, and jumped on the Metro for a few stops and waited at South Gosforth instead as I couldn't be chewed with the hassle for 20 minutes (mistimed it) and I'm not a vulnerable pensioner, young or a woman who imo are more at risk - Kim McGuinness likes to tell everyone at every chance, at least anyway.

It's not a unique scenario as I know Stanley is a war zone, Blakelaw currently hasn't zero buses, Meadowell is regularly having buses pulled, the Metro is as bad as it's ever been and I'm sure that list could go on. 

Surely something has been done now? Not with franchising in god knows whenever it is. It's a complete mess and worse than I can ever remember. There's no excuse for zero visible staff in either Haymarket Metro or Haymarket Bus Station imo.

Its once again a false promise brought in by kim who is there for the photo opportunity but wont actually do anything 

Its beyond pathetic how bad Newcastle is now. Constant problems day in day out with behaviour or chavs drunks & druggys. City is full of them now. Haymarket as you said after even 5pm is chaotic. 

Central on the daily is the same with chavs cause problems or the drunks/druggys. 

I refuse to use the metro after 5pm now as its not safe. Even if I do. I sit close enough to the front that thr driver will probably (hopefully) hear any wrong doings. 

We cant sit here and have one part of a franchise plan talk about policing & safety if it aint there to begin with. Oh wait it is but doesn't exist. 

Metro staff are to go hand on hell for not having a ticket but wont care chavs are smashing up the station. Taking photos of buses in Eldon or Haymarket & Gateshead and the staff are on hand to punish the living hell out of you. But no its completely fine for chavs to ride bikes round the interchange & drunks/druggys to argue and shout 

Where is Kim when this stuff is needed. Nowhere cause theres no photo opportunity for it. The 2nd and I mean the second theres a chance the cameras will be there and she'll be front and Centre. But no atm all she cares about is this silly franchise fantasies & metro to Washington in her head. Nothing else matters bar them

Still aint heard her talk about Blakelaw problems or the fact Haymarket is a nightmare. Nope franchise comes first. Let people on here try sit in these places when stuff is going down then come back and write your post on how Jesus Kim is doing so well

Park Lane is the same on a morning... drunks and druggies asking for money and to use your phone.

No point in complaining because they'll do sod all.

Haymarket bus station is getting worse, yesterday there were drunks starting an argument at around mid afternoon, the place is starting to smell like a urinal at times and the seats at each stand are either missing or completely worn out. Over the summer, 3 police officers were dealing with a drunk at stand U around lunchtime, the drunk shoved one of the officers 3 times before they finally arrested him.

At the Helix site you often get people off their face wandering around, crashing outside the Verde or just casually walking out of the Tesco Express with a multi pack of drink without paying and casually consuming it on the steps outside.

Piccadilly Gardens would blow your mind.

It’s not a problem unique to Newcastle, every morning I see police and case workers in haymarket but it’s more a societal and UK issue

It’s not the job of a franchise plan to provide safety and security, a common misconception on here.

(Yesterday, 10:30 pm)Ambassador wrote Piccadilly Gardens would blow your mind.

It’s not a problem unique to Newcastle, every morning I see police and case workers in haymarket but it’s more a societal and UK issue

It’s not the job of a franchise plan to provide safety and security, a common misconception on here.

Although it’s not the job, it should certainly be a moral obligation. By far the best interchange for this and should be evaluated is Cardiff Bus Station and Central Station. It’s amazing what an increased presence of security can achieve

(7 hours ago)220631612 wrote Although it’s not the job, it should certainly be a moral obligation. By far the best interchange for this and should be evaluated is Cardiff Bus Station and Central Station. It’s amazing what an increased presence of security can achieve

Yes, I generally agree, although you still get beggars outside (I was explicitly told don't give to them).

Park Lane in my experience is a good place to watch drunk chavs ending their relationships. Seems to happen every time I'm there on a night.

Quite a few locations where those who happen to be under the influence or intoxicated can make the environment very much uncomfortable, even more so if they happen to board the same bus or train.

Have been in Middlesbrough, Durham, Darlington & Redcar late in the afternoon and on an evening, and have to say all four locations at some point or the other have encountered nearby drunks, those on drugs, aswell as ASB from Youths, in addition to people constantly smoking & vaping in very close proximity to others, without a care in the world, especially the latter when they are on the bus.

Have got to say it makes travelling very hard to tolerate and very much does create a feeling of anxiety, as in an ideal world you expect a civilised environment, with people having a nice conversation in ear shot at most. However, all that you ever seem to get these days is people swearing, vaping, discarding their cans of drink, blasting their tiktok or if it's not that it's a full blown phone call on loud speaker & that's most journeys...

There's only so much any Council or Combined Authority can do on this. The root of the problem stems from the cuts to Policing in 2010, and that we're still suffering from to this day.

• Police officers were cut from 2010 (171,600 FTE) and that number now sits at 145,886 FTE
  
• PCSO numbers have been cut by about 53% from 16,918 FTE to 7,259 FTE
  
• Population growth over the same period is around 6.5m
  

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics...march-2026

It's not just that either. It's the cuts to all other services since 2010. Alcohol & drug abuse and anti-social behaviour was always typically handled under multi-agency approach, but either those agencies don't exist, or they don't have the funding to be as proactive as they'd like to be. It relies on members of the public reporting incidents.