Recent measures included the recent creation of the Transport Policing and Crime Command, which has seen 60 new police officers patrolling Manchester’s trams and buses.
She said the new scheme for 11 to 16-year-olds, expected to benefit 200,000 young people, builds on the Our Pass scheme allowing free bus travel to those aged 16 to 18 which was rolled out in 2019.
Speaking of that roll-out, Craig said: “We didn’t at the time see a great increase of anti-social behaviour.
“We’re preparing but we’re working on a basis that we trust our young people,” she added.
“In the run up to this going live on the 4 January, we’ve been preparing for an expanded network,” she said, including that new buses were available.
She argued the move puts up to £500 a year “directly into the pockets of working families.”
The recruitment and deployment of extra travel safe support and enforcement officers aimed to “provide a reassuring presence and give passengers someone to go to if they’re worried about anything,” the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said.
TfGM said it also “commissions” Salford City Football Club Foundation to run youth outreach on the network six days a week about the negative impacts of anti-social behaviour.
Applications for the new Our Pass 11-16 will open on 8 December, and the free travel will begin from 4 January.