About 71 per cent of Ontarians feel less or somewhat less safe using public transportation than they did a year ago, a new survey suggests.
The findings were released in a Nanos survey, commissioned by CTV News, on Friday amid a rash of seemingly random violent incidents on or near transit in Toronto.
According to the survey, Ontarians are most likely to report feeling less safe on public transit compared to other provinces and regions.
About 66 per cent of respondents from Ontario also indicated they were more or somewhat more cautious of their surroundings when out in an urban setting as a result of recent incidents.
Earlier this week, the City of Toronto said it would be temporarily deploying 50 security guards to TTC property, in addition to hiring 20 community safety ambassadors, in an effort to prioritize safety on the system.
This is in addition to a budget increase for the Toronto Police Service that would see 50 special constables hired. This includes 25 new positions and previously vacant spots.
Despite these promised measures, the majority of Ontarians—and Canadians—appear to remain concerned about safety, the survey suggests.
The newly released survey suggests about six in 10 Canadians who use public transit feel less safe or somewhat less safe while commuting compared to a year ago.
About 65 per cent of female respondents said they felt less or somewhat less safe on public transit compared to about 50 per cent of male respondents, the survey found.