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![\"Call](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Untitled-design-1-e1749297433790.png\" "\\"Call")
<\/p>\nTransport for London have been told to use their blueprint to eliminate all deaths on the capital\u2019s roads in their crackdown on violence against women and girls (VAWG) on public transport.<\/p>\n
Vision Zero is a strategy rolled out by the Mayor of London in 2018 that aims to eradicate all deaths and serious injuries from the transport network.<\/p>\n
This includes target actions, interim success measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress.<\/p>\n
Campaigners have now called on Sir Sadiq Khan, the chair of TfL, to implement a similar plan when it comes to tackling violence and harassment of women and girls on London\u2019s tubes and buses.<\/p>\n
According to data obtained by the London Assembly, between 2022\/23 and 2024\/25, sexual offences against women and girls increased significantly on the Elizabeth line \u2013 by 247.8 per cent in 2023\/24 and another 17.5 per cent in 2024\/25, the Underground, from 745 in 2022\/23 to 856 in 2024\/25,, and the bus network, which saw a 28.6 per cent in 2024\/25.<\/p>\n
Susan Leadbetter, Transport Consultant and Specialist in Gender Sensitive Design at WSP, told the London Assembly on Wednesday (December 3) that the transport body was currently missing a \u201ccohesive strategy\u201d on VAWG.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we look at road safety, we have Vision Zero, and Vision Zero is all about eliminating killed and seriously injured from collisions \u2013 I would love to see something like that for violence against women and girls and setting KPIs so we actually have something to measure against,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy the Vision Zero approach is so good, is that it looks at that systems approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s lots of different strategies out there, but at the minute they\u2019re quite disjointed. So I think it\u2019s just bringing those together in one sort of cohesive strategy. I wouldn\u2019t say that one strategy is better than another.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, I think the documents that are out there out there that exist are are good, but they just don\u2019t go far enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing in that systems thinking of the culture, the design, the engagement and the policies, and again having something to measure against, that is why I think those KPIs are really important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tricia Hayes, who chairs transport watchdog London TravelWatch, said TfL did not have a \u201csingle, definitive integrated set of data that gives a clear picture\u201d around VAWG on the network.<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of different organisations are not all working to a common standard, which makes it very difficult to compare and contrast what\u2019s going on either across different transport operators or across different geographies.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was also pointed out that the British Transport Police (BTP) don\u2019t operate on buses, creating a further data gap.<\/p>\n
Panellists speaking to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee also noted that poor handling of reporting incidents on public transport had undermined confidence in the authorities to deal with the issue.<\/p>\n
Ms Leadbetter said: \u201cBased on the research that we did, we just found that women and girls just didn\u2019t trust the process. They didn\u2019t find that it was effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining was something that was coming up consistently, and going back to around not knowing what to report and how to report and just access to information was really key as well. TfL are doing lots of good work \u2013 there\u2019s always definitely sort of room for improvement there.<\/p>\n
This testimony is backed up by previous research from City Hall. The Out in London report shows that 21 per cent of LGBTQ+ passengers experienced hate crime on transport, yet 84 per cent of these incidents were not reported.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a University of Manchester analysis found that sexual harassment is massively underreported nationally. While theft sees around 960 reports per month, sexual offences average just 116, but actual incidence estimates suggest closer to 683, indicating only 17 per cent are formally lodged.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n
Failing to solve the issue will simply mean women and girls stay away from public transport in London, Ms Hayes warned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a powerful business case for tackling VAWG on the TfL network \u2013 it is hugely in TfL\u2019s interest, or it\u2019s not going to meet its Mayoral targets for getting people onto its network,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no reason not to crack on with strategies to change behaviour, clearer reporting routes and improving the physical environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
TfL have indicated the rise in recorded offences is at least partly due to a rising confidence in reporting any incidents.<\/p>\n
In response to an FOI request on VAWG last month, they said: \u201cTackling sexual harassment and improving customers\u2019 confidence to travel is a priority for us and we are committed to playing our full part in delivering the Mayor\u2019s strategy to end violence against women and girls (VAWG).<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerted action has already been undertaken for a number of years. In partnership with the\u202fRail Delivery Group (RDG),\u202fBritish Transport Police (BTP), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)\u202fand women\u2019s safety groups we launched a campaign to highlight our zero tolerance approach to all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence on the transport network in October 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe campaign highlights various forms of unwanted sexual behaviour that can take place on public transport and aims to send a strong message to offenders that\u202fsexual harassment and sexual assault is not tolerated on TfL\u2019s services, and the importance of reporting incidents of this nature.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the launch of the campaign, we have seen an increase in reports of sexual offences in part due to confidence that action will be taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese offences have been underreported in previous years, with October 2021 seeing the highest number of reported offences since before the pandemic, and these increased levels of reporting have been sustained.\u201d<\/p>\n
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