Safer Transport survey results

1. Background

This survey was carried out as part of a GWR funded project to increase safety for women and girls on public transport. The aim of the survey was to better understand how people felt about safety on public transport and to identify areas where improvements could be made.
The survey was open to all to complete but with a particular focus on gaining responses from women and girls. A total of 279 responses were submitted to the survey.

2. Key findings

• Most people feel safe on public transport during the day.
• Younger people are more likely to feel unsafe during the day.
• 48% of participants feel unsafe using public transport after dark.
• Females, young people, and disabled people are more likely to feel unsafe when using public transport after dark.
• 42% of respondents have witnessed, or experienced, crime or harassment.
• People aged 54 and under are twice as likely to have experienced, or witnessed, crime of harassment on public transport than those aged older.
• 31% of people who experienced or witnessed crime or harassment reported it.
• Only 12% of people think there are enough security measures in place on public transport.

3. Demographics

The demographics of those people who took part is shown below.

What is your sex?

Most respondents were female – 73%.

Which of the following age groups applies to you?

There was a range of responses from each of the age groups.

Which of the following best describes your ethnic background?

Most people who took part described their ethnicity as White – 94%.

Do you consider yourself disabled in any way?

19% of participants considered themselves disabled and this affected them in the following ways:

Which town do you live in?

4. Survey responses

How often do you use public transport?

56% of respondent use public transport once a week or more. 31% rarely or never.

If you use public transport, which type do you use most frequently?

Bus is the form of transport used most frequently by respondents to the survey with 76% choosing that option.

How safe do you feel when using public transport during the day?

67% of people feel “very safe” or “safe” when using public transport during the day.

64% of females feel “very safe” or “safe” when using public transport during the day. 12% feel “very unsafe” or “unsafe”.

72% of males feel “very safe” or “safe” when using public transport during the day. 5% feel “very unsafe” or “unsafe”.

Feelings of safety during the day: views by age 

Older people feel safer than young people when using public transport during the day. 17% of 16–24-year-olds feel “very unsafe” or “unsafe” compared with 4% of over 75s.

Disabled people feel less safe than people without disabilities 17% vs 9%.

How safe do you feel when using public transport after dark in the evening/night?

The proportion of people who feel “very safe” or “safe” when using the public transport after dark in the evening/night is much lower at 26%.

48% of participants answered, “very unsafe” or “unsafe”.

Females are more likely to feel unsafe when using public transport after dark, 56% stating they feel “very unsafe” or “unsafe” compared with 26% of males.

Feelings of safety after dark: views by age

Young people do not feel as safe as older people when using public transport after dark. The age group with the highest proportion of respondents answering “very unsafe” or “unsafe” was 16 to 24 at 67%.

Disabled people are more likely to feel “very unsafe” or “unsafe” when using public transport after dark – 59% - when compared with people without disabilities - 45%.

Have you ever experienced or witnessed crime or harassment on public transport?

58% of respondents have not experienced or witnessed crime or harassment on public transport. 42% have experienced this.

This proportion increases slightly for females (44%) and reduce for males (36%).

Experience or witness of crime by age 

People aged 54 and under are twice as likely to have experienced, or witnessed, crime of harassment on public transport than those aged older.

There is no significant difference between experiences of disabled people, and people without disabilities, 41% vs 43% having witnessed crime or harassment on public transport.

What type of crime or harassment did you experience or witness?

The most common form of crime or harassment witnessed by people who took part in the survey was verbal harassment.

If you experienced or witnessed crime or harassment, did you report it?

31% of people who experienced or witnessed crime or harassment reported it.

Females (28%) are slightly less likely than males (36%) to report these incidents.

Reporting crime by age

In all age groups people are less likely to report incidents of crime or harassment than they are to report it.

27% of disabled people have reported these instances, 31% of people without disabilities answered that they have.

If you did not report it, can you tell us why?

71 people answered this free text question. Some of the main themes were:

• Fear of retaliation or intimidation – Many respondents expressed concerns about their personal safety if they reported the incident.
• Lack of confidence in authorities – Some believed that nothing would be done or had lost trust in services meant to handle such issues.
• Bus/train driver handling it – Several respondents did not report because the driver was already dealing with the situation.
• Uncertainty about how or where to report – Some people didn’t know the correct process or where to report such incidents.
• Perceived futility of reporting – Many felt that reporting would not lead to any meaningful action or change.
• Severity of incident – A few respondents mentioned that the harassment was relatively minor, so they didn’t see the need to report it.
• Lack of staff presence – Several mentioned that there were no officials around to report the incident to.
• Desire to avoid confrontation or prolonging the experience – Some just wanted to move on and not dwell on the experience.

Do you think there are enough security measures in place on public transport?

Only 12% of people think there are enough security measures in place on public transport.

10% of females and 17% of males think there are enough security measures on public transport.

Security measures: views by age group

Across all age groups most people think there are not enough security measures in place on public transport.

20% of disabled people feel that there are enough security measures, this compares to 10% of people without disabilities.

Explain your answer to the previous question.

33 people explained why they felt there was enough security measures in place. Some of the main themes were:

• Presence of bus/train staff – People feel safe because there are bus drivers, and sometimes security guards at stations, who can handle situations.
• CCTV cameras – Several respondents mentioned that surveillance cameras help ensure security and act as a deterrent.
• Personal experience of safety – Many individuals stated they’ve never witnessed crime or felt unsafe, leading them to believe security measures are sufficient.

111 people explained why they felt there was not enough security measures in place. Some of the main themes were:

• Lack of security personnel – Many respondents mentioned that apart from bus drivers or ticket collectors, there are no visible security staff on buses or trains, leaving passengers feeling vulnerable.
• Bus/train drivers unable to handle security issues – Several respondents expressed concern that drivers are not equipped to manage difficult or dangerous situations while also operating the vehicle.
• Concerns about personal safety, especially at night – Many people feel unsafe due to the absence of staff at stations, poor lighting, and the potential for harassment or crime, particularly in the evenings.
• CCTV cameras alone are not enough to deter crime or harassment.
• There’s no clear process for reporting incidents or requesting assistance.
• Alcohol and drug use on public transport contributes to unsafe environments.

What changes or improvements would make you feel safer when using public transport?

The top three responses for changes or improvement were “Increased security presence” (64%), “Improved lightning at stops/stations” (62%), and “A choice of ways to report incidents” (49%).