18 March 2021
Women deserve to feel confident and safe when travelling in London but the reality is many don’t, as evidenced by the outpouring of stories from women on social media overnight, commented London TravelWatch Director, Emma Gibson:
‘Our recent research with Londoners showed that concerns about personal safety while moving around the capital are heightened at the moment. We picked up these concerns from all genders, but particularly among younger people who wanted to see more visible staff and police presence on transport, to tackle anti-social behaviour. We also picked up a higher level of worry among BAME people about their health and well-being when they are travelling to and from work. With 60% of key workers being women, its particularly important that transport operators listen and respond to the concerns of the people who are having to travel at the moment. The pandemic has heightened concern about safety in general and more will need to be done to reassure everyone that it’s safe to come back.
All of us in the transport industry need to listen to women and other marginalised groups, prioritise measures that improve safety, and hold accountable those who make others unsafe.’
