The National Bus and Rail Union has ramped up its "enough is enough" campaign to end anti-social behaviour on public transport after an increase in assaults and abuse of staff.
The NBRU is calling for a dedicated transport division within An Garda Síochána to be assigned to public transport, similar to the Transport Police in the UK or the system in Vancouver in Canada.
General Secretary of the NBRU Dermot O'Leary told RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke that the union has previously asked Minister for Transport Shane Ross and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to fund a public transport division within the gardaí.
Mr O'Leary said there was 57 assaults on Iarnród Éireann staff over the last three years and more on members of the public. He said a recent stabbing showed the level of violence was worsening.
Speaking on the same programme, a train and bus driver described numerous incidents of being threatened, verbally abused and being spat at.
Dave Fitzsimons, a Dublin Bus driver, said he had been spat at by a cyclist which he said was "very degrading" and it knocked his confidence.
Mr Fitzsimons said drivers are called "every name under the sun" and drivers "shouldn't have to sit and take it".
In October a man was stabbed on a train in Killester in Dublin. A man was arrested in connection with the incident.
In May a train was vandalised in what was described as a "co-ordinated and deliberate attack" on a DART in north Dublin.
Dozens of people wearing balaclavas attacked the train at Clongriffin preventing the doors from closing and vandalised the outside of a carriage with graffiti.
