Research findings
The evidence review undertaken by Transport Scotland officials supported the view that a perceptions and experiences of a lack of safety constituted a major constraint on women’s use of public transport. Headline analysis from the survey research showed that women continue to feel less safe than men on public transport, and this influences their mobility. The provided scope to explore these issues in more detail. This report, based on the qualitative research, highlighted that public transport was seen as an essential and affordable way for many to achieve independent social mobility. The research indicated that women and girls are already shouldering significant responsibility for adapting their behaviours to try to ‘be’ and to ‘feel’ safe when travelling on public transport.
Research Recommendations
The recommendations from the research report, which served as a focus for discussion in the meeting are as follows:
To raise awareness of the technology that is currently available to assist women and girls and explore means of making this more accessible to all, including raising awareness of the immediate and intermediate support that is available to those who feel vulnerable at any point before, during or after public transport journeys.
To gather and share best practice in relation to options for ensuring the safe return home of those working in the transport industry at night, with a review of measures and resources in place to support and promote safe travel home options for transport workers.
To strengthen existing rules around non-consumption of alcohol on public transport and at points of interchange. Increased penalties for non-compliance and better enforcement of legislation in this regard may also be required.
To develop more credible and accessible information and guidance for women and girls regarding what to do and who to contact if they feel threatened or unsafe or if they are victim to incidents when using public transport. Any information and guidance must be developed in collaboration with women and girls directly (including those from ethnic minority communities) to ensure solutions can address existing low levels of trust in authorities that appear to exist.
To introduce systems for the regular monitoring, reporting and upgrading of lighting and communications systems for all transport services (including on board and at stops/stations) with strategies in place for the immediate repair and redress of any reported failings or absence of communications and surveillance equipment at interchanges and on-board services.
To explore the feasibility of increasing staff presence at both points of boarding, alighting and interchange, as well as the possibility of increasing on board staff presence at the times that women and girls feel most vulnerable (including evenings and weekends, in particular).
Joint working between stakeholders to map and improve existing reporting protocols and develop more consistent and transparent systems for reporting and recording incidents that affect women on public transport. Improved evidence gathering will help to crystalise the nature and scale of negative personal safety experiences that passengers endure, and help to target resources and refine responses.
For stakeholders to implement more robust procedures and standard practice for following up with transport staff and public transport users who do report negative incidents to the authorities. Women and girls need to know that their complaints are taken seriously, and that they are being heard, to give them, and others, the confidence to share their experiences in the future.
To carry out a comprehensive review of the training that is currently offered to those working in the transport industry on the topic of personal safety (both their own safety and the safety of others) to identify any gaps in content, frequency of provision and reach as well as to explore how these can best be filled.
Further targeted research, consultation and training specifically with drivers of public transport, to explore their own fears in relation to protecting those on-board services and to better understand what could be done to assist them in communicating more effectively with passengers and responding to incidents, while not jeopardising their own or others safety.