The team will comprise 15 full-time ‘Safer Travel’ PCSOs, trained in conflict management to reduce disruption and ease the safety concerns of passengers.
The West Yorkshire Mayor’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) has allocated £1m to fund the team of PCSOs with an aim to reduce the rate of crime and anti-social behaviour surrounding buses in the county.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Everyone should feel safe in West Yorkshire, and that includes when travelling on public transport. The new team is a highly visible resource, ready to make a difference.”
Other safety features are also due to be implemented across West Yorkshire – 24/7 monitored CCTV will be in operation in 27 bus stations, whilst those which remain unstaffed will have dedicated help points and registered safeplaces.
A member of the public said, “I don’t think they’re unsafe but I catch them in the day, it might be a different story at night. Sometimes there’s large groups of people there and you’re on your own and they get a bit rowdy, and you don’t know what’s gonna happen”
Whilst the initiative is aimed at helping passengers, the importance of a police presence is of great benefit to the staff too. The changes are welcome after shocking statistics were revealed earlier this year by unions as bus workers went on strike. The RMT Union surveyed 694 respondents, finding that 48% of bus workers have experienced abuse from passengers in the last two years.
The survey revealed that despite workers suffering verbal, physical and racial abuse whilst operating their bus, only 42% felt confident to report the incidents and 97% said they did not receive any support from their employers afterwards.
Sneha James, 19, said she would like to see “a minimum noise policy” implemented to reduce disruption and encourage more people to use the Leeds bus network.
The rollout of the ‘Safer Leeds’ scheme is further backed by the Department for Transport, where 16 areas in England and Wales are highlighted as ‘hotspots’ for anti-social behaviour and a wider government commitment to improve public transport in the coming years.
