Stagecoach boss claims Cambridgeshire bus stop safety key to VAWG mission
The company's using its buses as a safe space for victims of violence
The boss of a bus company in Cambridgeshire said he wants to see bus stops feel more welcoming in a bid to improve safety on public transport.
Stagecoach East signed up to a Businesses Against Abuse (BAA) scheme ran by Cambridgeshire Police in October 2024 to provide a safe space for female victims of violence.
At the time, the bus operator was one of more than 300 firms that teamed up with the force to help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the county.
"Part of feeling safe starts with actually walking to the bus stop, the bus stop being lit, clean, graffiti-free, making sure we flag any vandalism to those stops," Darren Roe, managing director at Stagecoach East, said.
Safety at bus stops
Figures from the National Centre for Social Research found half of people felt fairly safe on a bus after dark, compared to 5% who felt very safe at a bus stop at this time of day.
While 29% of females felt fairly safe at bus stops after dark, the joint lowest percentage compared to other places of public transport that were analysed.
Mr Roe said since Stagecoach East joined the police-led scheme, there has been no rise or drop in VAWG incidents that drivers have had to face.
"I wouldn't say there's a trend emerging; I think every so often, we have to give it another push so all of a sudden, you'll see these buses start showing it's a safe space again," he said.
"It's one of those projects that's always on and it's about sharing the good stories when we have them."
'Regular drumbeat of training'
A report by the British Transport Police found in 2024-25, anti-social behaviour incidents on public transport increased by 24% to 40,034 compared to the previous year.
Under the BAA scheme, businesses are trained to recognise predatory behaviour, obtaining the relevant information to pass onto emergency services and dealing with situations involving vulnerable people.
If a woman or girl is in distress, Stagecoach says they can step on board a bus and be taken to a place of safety without having to pay.
Mr Roe said drivers at Stagecoach East have around 35 hours of training every five years, including courses as part of the BAA scheme.
He said drivers are also helping police themselves by how often they see certain commuters.
"It's a regular drumbeat of training; it's also about sharing the stories of when it's worked and taking the learnings when it hasn't," Mr Roe added.
"They get to know them well, so they can pass on certain pieces of information to the police they can take and use as they see fit, and if we've got challenging passengers, we can share that with police and they'll work with us to deal with those issues."