Transport Scotland report lays out recommendations to improve safety
Women have been forced to adapt their behaviour on public transport according to a new report commissioned by Transport Scotland.
The report released this week interviewed women and girls on their experience consulting passengers and transport staff with a focus on train and bus services.
Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport, said: “During our research, women and girls told us they shoulder significant responsibility for adapting their own behaviour to try to be and feel safe on public transport. This is simply not acceptable in 21st century Scotland”.
The report makes ten recommendations to improve safety including: a review of staff training to support and protect themselves and passengers; a feasible method to increase staff presence; creating accessible guidance on reporting incidents; repairing and upgrading lighting and communication systems.
The report comes after British Transport Police released an appeal today to identify a man who sexually assaulted a woman on a train between Airdrie and Balloch at the start of the month.
The man is described as white, in his late 30s to early 40s and spoke with a foreign accent. Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to call 0800405040 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Kate Wallace, Victim Support Scotland (CEO), said: “Victim Support Scotland welcomes this focus on increasing women and girls’ safety on public transport. While incidents are still too high, we welcome steps being taken to improve reporting and for complaints to be taken seriously.”
