Transport

Problem: Despite low levels of recorded transport crime, many people are concerned about using public transport. People can be particularly nervous about travelling at night, walking to the bus stop or train\underground station and then waiting for the transport to arrive.

Crime on public transport impacts on the wider community and community safety initiatives which fail to address crime on public transport cannot be fully effective.

Suggested interventions:. 

·    Keep the travelling environment clean, tidy and well lit.

·    Install physical security measures such as CCTV, passenger communication systems and staff communication systems to help reassure passenders that the area is being supervised.

·    The design of the infrastructure can reduce opportunities for criminal behaviour and reduce fears for the passenger, especially if people with good local knowledge and front-line staff are consulted and listened to throughout the process. Location, lighting, opportunities for formal and informal surveillance, displays of art, visibility, cleanliness and accessibility are all factors which can be used to reduce the fear of crime for passengers.

·    Make it easier for passengers to feel in control of their journey by providing travel information, such as accurate and up to date timetables, news about delays and route maps. To help passengers feel less vulnerable and isolated also provide details of local facilities, such as the nearest toilets, shops telephones and travel information centres.

·    Consider publishing travel information in a variety of formats which will benefit vulnerable groups within the community, such as Braille, audio tapes and foreign language.

·    The Department for Transport have sections on their website about how to tackle crime on transport and how to improve access and provision for disabled people, regardless of whether they are a pedestrian, public or special transport user or motorist. Visit
http://www.mobility-unit.dft.gov.uk for further information.

·    The Secure Stations Scheme encourages Briatin's rail companies to improve securityat stations and reassure customers of their commitment to rail safety.

·    The Safer Parking Scheme (which has replaced the Secured Car Park Scheme) is a successful police scheme which helps to reduce crime and the fear of crime in car parks. The award is granted to parking areas that have been risk assessed by the police. The requirements that the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby trying to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking area.

·    Visit http://www.trackoff.org to find out how the Rail Safety and Standards Board (on behalf of industry partners) are educating people, especially young people, about the dangers and consequences of railway crime. The site has already had over 2 million hits from schools, local communities and other countries such as USA, Russia, Egypt, Australia an dNew Zealand. The Trackoff website has won National Grid for Learning accreditatin operated through the DfES. This ensures that the site provides the gateway to quality assured internet-based educational resources with a network of selected links to websites offering high quality content and information. Also visit http://www.railwaycrime.org for an overview of that the Rail Safety and Standards Board are doing to reduce crime on the railway lines.

·    The Department for Transport (DfT) have developed 9 fact sheets based on national research aimed at finding out about people's perceptions of personal security and their concerns about crime on public transport. Click here for a link to the webpage.

·    Visit http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk to find out the latest campigns and road safety advice to keep everyone on Britain's roads safer.

·    For more advice about reducing vehicle crime in your area visit the Vehicle Crime Reduction Toolkit at http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/toolkits/vc00.htm.

 Case Studies