Councillors are set to explore how to improve safe transport for late-shift workers in North Tyneside.
In March, North Tyneside councillors unanimously voted to back trade union Unite's 'Get Me Home Safe' campaign. The campaign calls on employers to supply safe transport for employees, particularly at times when public transport may not be running.
Now, the local authority's licensing committee has been tasked with exploring how best to bring safe transport measures in, and how to get North Tyneside businesses involved.
Tynemouth councillor Lewis Bartoli said: "Before I was a councillor I ran bars and restaurants and I remember the challenges faced by people waiting for lifts or busses, it is not uncommon. I think it is fair to say most responsible license holders probably do make arrangements but I have no doubt some don't.
"I think it is at the very least this highlights the issue for license holders, it is something they need to be responsible for. The safety of their staff does not just become an issue when they are working.
"I think it's a great idea and I hope licence holders look into it".
As part of the campaign, councils are asked to engage with transport providers to help increase the number of late-night travel options for shift workers.
Huw Lewis, customer services director at Nexus, said: “We plan to increase the number and frequency of late-night bus services in North Tyneside, and in other parts of the region, from later this year. We’ll be consulting with local councils on the exact routes and paying for this from the money North East England has been awarded through the Governments’ Bus Service Improvement Plan.
“We’re working in partnership with the commercial bus operators to build a better service for local people. While we’re keen to see public transport operate as long as possible we must accept that late evening and early morning demand is bound to be small so most, if not all, bus services will need extra public money to keep them going at those times. We’re putting that money in now using Government support until 2025 which will at least allow time to review the impact.
“More late-night buses is one of a range of improvements for customers that Nexus is delivering alongside lower fares for young people, better online information, rescue packages to protect routes threatened with cuts and higher frequencies on some core routes into towns and cities during the day.
“Metro runs at a frequency of at least four trains per hour across 19 hours of the day with the last departures from Whitley Bay, for example, leaving just after midnight in either direction and the first around 5:30am. This is a quality of service many cities will be envious of. While Metro will always be the backbone of late-night public transport we want to bring bus services closer to the same hours of operation, if not the same frequency.”
The campaign was sparked off following the sexual assault of a Unite activist on their way home after a late shift in August 2021. The activist was asked by her manager to work until 1am and was assured paid transport home as the last bus was at 12:30am.
Later, the worker was told they could leave an hour earlier to catch the bus home, however, the bus never arrived. The employee was then forced to travel home alone whereupon they were assaulted.
According to figures from United, 84% of women said they do not feel safe when using public transport. A 2018 survey from Plan International UK, a children's rights charity, found that 38% of young girls aged 14 to 21 have experienced verbal harassment including sexual comments in public places, at least once a month.
