By Danielle Kutchel
A Cranbourne mother is calling for better security to be provided at a notorious bus stop, after her son was mugged there twice in recent weeks.
Ruby Dow said her son had been attacked in broad daylight both times while waiting for a bus at the Lyall Street, Cranbourne stop.
On the most recent occasion, at about 4.15pm on Tuesday 3 August, he had been dragged back from the bus by four older kids after it pulled up.
They dug around in his pocket and stole his phone before fleeing the scene.
Ms Dow said her son called for help from the bus driver, but the driver was unable to intervene.
The perpetrators were in school uniform and a complaint has been made, she said.
Her son is shaken and has been blaming himself for the attacks.
“My concern is this is happening to not just my kid, but lots of kids. There’s no CCTV,” Ms Dow said.
She said a portable CCTV stand had previously been set up at Lyall Street, but this had been taken down.
She wants to see the CCTV reinstated permanently, and police operating regular patrols around the area.
‘Somebody has a responsibility to these kids. Kids have a right to catch the bus home from school,” she said.
Daniel Osborne, manager of safer communities at the City of Casey, said the council was aware of the issues at the bus stop.
“We are liaising closely with Victoria Police and Public Transport Victoria to address these,” he said.
The council has previously worked with Public Transport Victoria (PTV) to look into measures that can be taken to reduce crime at the stop, and additional police patrols are now taking place, he said.
Victoria Police confirmed it was investigating the robbery.
“No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing,” a spokesperson said.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said safety was a high priority.
“Bus operators and the Department of Transport work with Victoria Police to provide information on serious incidents on the network,” the spokesperson said.
It’s understood bus drivers don’t intervene in incidents that take place outside the bus because they have a responsibility to maintain control and safety of the bus at all times.
If a driver witnesses a serious incident outside the bus, and is able to, they can report it to the operations centre which then notifies Victoria Police.
Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
