Safer Travel Strategy 2025-2028

Safer Travel Strategy 2025 – 2028

The Safer Travel Partnership, consisting of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands (PCC), British Transport Police (BTP), West Midlands Police (WMP) and public transport operators, is committed to creating a safe and accessible transport network in the West Midlands.

This Safer Travel Delivery Plan (2025 – 2028) accompanies the Safer Travel Strategy and sets out how the Safer Travel Partnership in the West Midlands will deliver the strategic outcomes of Feel Safer, Be Safer, Stay Safer and Connected Network.

Click on each of the below headlines to find more about the strategy.

Feel Safer

·       We aspire to a vision where all users of public transport whether they are passengers or employees feel safer to use the network.

·       We will reassure passengers and staff that our network is a safe place

·       We will demonstrate what we do and what we plan to do to make the network feel safer.

Be Safer

·       We will deploy Safer Travel resources across the network in response to anti-social behaviour and crime pattern analysis

·       We will maximise the use of all available powers and interventions

·       Maximise the presence of the Safer Travel partnership team including the further development of Transport Safety Officers.

Connected Network

·       We will maximise the use of all available technology to assist in delivering the plan

·       Maintain and develop our existing CCTV camera estate working collaboratively with partners

·       Continue to develop the use of drone technology and Artificial Intelligence

·       Review and improve existing data sharing protocols with transport partners and Local Authorities.

Stay Safer

·       Implementing sustainable long-term approaches to improve safety

·       We will commit partnership staff to improving the experience of female users of the network in support of the Violence Against Women and Girls agenda

·       We will listen to passenger and staff groups to understand and respond to their concerns (you said, we did)

·       We will communicate our activities on a regular basis to encourage passengers to use the network

·       We will utilise all evidence-based research to enhance and develop the partnership.

Delivering the priorities

·       We will appoint a lead agency for each theme and develop a clear delivery plan, making full use of our Analyst, Communications Officer and Anti-Social Behaviour team to drive progress.

·       Data will continue to guide how Safer Travel Partnership resources are deployed, while external funding will be pursued to expand and strengthen the partnership, particularly through growing the Transport Safety Officer scheme.

·       We will enhance monthly and weekly multi-agency tasking meetings to ensure resources are targeted where they are needed most.

·       Our performance will be consistently reviewed by the Safer Travel Governance Board, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Accountability and Governance Board, and the Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Challenge

Alongside developing this action plan with partners, we have considered observations from our latest PARS survey of autumn and winter 2024, these include:

·       The perception of safety when travelling by public transport during daylight and during hours of darkness varies

·      There has been a significant decline in feelings of safety when travelling on public transport during daylight hours

·      Train travel tends to rate higher than by bus and tram – with walking to the tram stop continuing to be the lowest rated feeling of safety daytime activity

·      Furthermore, during hours of darkness public transport users are increasingly perceiving travel as unsafe

·      Train travel is perceived safer than travelling by bus or tram and waiting at bus stops consistently remains an area of concern

 

To address these challenges and to deliver our Safer Travel Strategy we will focus our resources on the following 21 key actions over the life of this Action Plan. Find out more here.

You can read the full strategy here Safer Travel Strategy 2025 2028