Faces of fear on the buses: mugshot posters alert drivers to danger Secretary of the Bus Division of the Rail Tram and Bus Union, Chris Preston. "WANTED" posters of serial troublemakers and fare evaders who terrorise bus drivers and passengers have been circulated to State Transit Authority bus depots in Sydney and Newcastle. The mugshots warning drivers of individuals who get on buses and refuse to pay or make life uncomfortable for other passengers are pinned to the walls of drivers' meal and locker rooms. The Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has advised its members not to confront the potentially violent fare evaders. A driver from the STA's Ryde Depot, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Telegraph that there is a group of individuals in the city's north west who threaten drivers when asked to pay for a ticket. "They just get on the bus, walk straight past the driver and sit down," the driver said. If you ask them to pay for a ticket, you get an earful of abuse. They are intimidating. We've got wanted posters of these guys at the depot so the drivers know who to look out for. The STA confirmed it circulates the posters to a number of depots because it is committed to providing a safe environment for passengers and drivers. But the STA said it would not publicly release the images of individuals because they may be subject to current legal or police action. "STA implements a range of initiatives to identify potential hazards," a spokesman said. On occasion, STA will display notices that identify known offenders which can include individuals who have a history of anti-social behaviour on buses. As most driver assaults occur as a result of a fare transaction, STA alerts its drivers with notices about habitual fare evaders and people known to exhibit unsafe behaviour on buses. Secretary of the RTBU's Bus Division, Chris Preston, said the union has called for increased security and transit officer presence across the bus network to keep potentially violent people in check and ensure assaults don't happen in the first place. "Drivers must be able to expect to finish a shift without a trip to the nearest hospital emergency department," Mr Preston said. Security for our bus drivers is getting out of control. News of the posters comes a week after the RTBU complained about drivers being bashed and threatened on the city's Northern Beaches. The STA and police have committed to increasing security guards and patrols at night on those routes. The STA said it works closely with NSW Police to guard its drivers and passengers against anti-social behaviour and uses Transport Officers to target fare evaders. "In just six months, the now 150 Transport Officers have caught more than 30,000 fare evaders," the STA spokesman said. Most customers do the right thing and pay the correct fare. It is an extremely small minority of people who fare evade or act in an anti-social manner.