Bus passengers are being urged to have their say on how the service can be made safer in the North East.
With 162 million bus journeys made in the region each year, buses play a huge role in getting people to work, school, and shops. Now, Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness is launching a survey to understand how these journeys can be made safer for everyone.
Bus passengers, along with those who choose not to use the service, are being asked to have their say on how safety can be improved to ensure people feel comfortable climbing on board.
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Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Our buses help hold this region together and we need to understand how we can make them safer.
“I want to know what bothers people about buses, and what we can do about it. We’ll be at bus stops and stations throughout the region, speaking to passengers asking them about the things our bus services get right but also where things need to be improved.
“I’ve done public transport surveys in the past and know people want buses that are affordable and reliable, but they also want to know they are safe too and I want to dig deeper into this – the routes, the reliability, the reporting. I know our bus operators haven’t had it easy in recent years with countless cuts to funding and the pandemic, but this is about looking ahead."
Last year, the PCC’s transport survey found that people want public transport that is reliable, affordable and safe. In response to initial concerns raised, the Safer Transport Northumbria App was launched with the support of Northumbria Police, Nexus Stagecoach, Go North East and Arriva.
The app was designed to help make it easier for passengers to report any behaviour that makes them, or others, feel uncomfortable when on the bus or Metro. Women can also report safety concerns via the app.
Urging people to share their views in the latest survey, Mrs McGuinness said: “I want to represent the voice of local passengers and this is their chance to be heard. I want to look into how we can make journeys safer for all and the more insight we get, the more improvements we can look at making.”
For more information and to complete the survey, click HERE.
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