Boosting the number of guards from 4 to 16 is part of the third stage of a Wilson Security contract signed by the former Labor Government in 2017.

The beefed-up squad will move between trains, trams, buses, stations, stops and interchanges to provide a deterrence and deal with serious incidents where needed.

And the number of night-time security patrol cars with two guards checking the transport network will be lifted to six.

Previous security measures – including real-time CCTV monitoring and response management from a 24/7 security hub, and guards on some evening train services – were rolled out from October 2107.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said ensuring a more responsive security network was key to safeguarding passenger safety and motivation to use public transport.

“Safety can be a key factor when people are deciding whether or not to use public transport,” he said.

“The safer people feel on our buses, trains and trams the more likely they are to use these services.”

He said improved CCTV monitoring and more roving guards and patrols would allow faster, better targeted response to any incident across the network,

“This builds on other safety measures the State Government has introduced including rolling out security screens on all Adelaide Metropolitan buses, new CCTV at a number of train and tram stations and awareness campaigns,” he said.