Public transport has become safer since the introduction of the smart card in 2009, Trouw says on Friday based on its own research.

According to Trouw, the improvement comes from a fall in the number of passengers who do not pay. Most of the agression comes from these people being confronted.

Agressive incidents and threatening behaviour in the Amsterdam metro fell from 13% in 2009 to 2.5% in 2013. In the whole of the public transport system in Rotterdam these incidents decreased from 13.1% to 1.6% and in The Hague from 9.1% to 3%.

Trouw spoke to the directors of the three main public transport providers in the cities.