Transport Safety Pilot Launched in the BCP area

Transport safety pilot launched

Bus routes and travel interchanges across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) are set to become safer places, with new Transport Safety Officers (TSOs) travelling across key routes on the bus network.

The move, a partnership between BCP Council and Morebus, is designed to address any future antisocial behaviour – after issues were identified in some areas over recent months.

These specially trained officers will travel on bus services and will be seen in and around Poole Bus Station, and Bournemouth and Boscombe Travel Interchanges as well as key bus routes across the conurbation, interacting with people and dealing with any incidents as part of this scheme.

The new TSOs will also work closely with Dorset Police to help prevent antisocial behaviour (ASB) by using a three-step approach: engagement, education and if necessary, enforcement, with limited but targeted police powers under the Community Safety Accredited Scheme (CSAS).

BCP Council was one of four areas selected under the Government’s Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan to run this pilot, receiving £480,000 to recruit and train new TSOs and offer enhanced visible presence on public transport network.

The TSOs will travel on targeted routes based on information received from Morebus staff and members of the public, who can text a special number if they spot any incidents of ASB or feel unsafe while using public transport.

Councillor Kieron Wilson, BCP Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services which includes antisocial behaviour said:  

“Safety on public transport will be greatly enhanced with the Transport Safety Officers travelling on and around our bus network, engaging people and helping deal with any incidents of antisocial behaviour.

“We want everyone who travels on public transport to feel safe, and we rely on members of the public and bus drivers to report any incidents of antisocial behaviour to ensure our Transport Safety Officers are targeting the correct routes.

“Having this level of security, particularly at Poole Bus Station which has been impacted by recent incidents of antisocial behaviour, will help make the network safer and make people accountable for their actions.”

In addition to TSOs, the council will be upgrading over 200 bus shelters with new CCTV cameras in the coming months, with Bournemouth and Boscombe interchanges, as well as Poole Bus Station also benefitting from additional surveillance technology. This is thanks to funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The CCTV cameras will cover the busiest bus stops across the conurbation, as well as the main boarding areas of the bus station and travel interchanges, with high-definition footage live streamed directly to the council’s CCTV Control Room for officers to monitor.

Richard Wade, General Manager at Morebus, said:

“Bus travel is for everyone and a real opportunity for people to contribute positively to issues around the environment and congestion.

“The vast majority of our existing customers are really nice people, and we want to welcome more and more. A small element need a little reminder how to behave around others and we've listened to feedback which tells us a few have some concerns around this.

“The Transport Safety Officers are a great addition to help tackle this. Our drivers are our eyes and ears and are already feeding information to TSOs with when and where they can be most effective. The information we can all share will only get better as time goes on.”

If anyone spots any incidents of antisocial behaviour or feels vulnerable while using our bus network, then please text ‘BCP’ to 81018 with details of the incident including the time, date, location and if relevant, the route number, to let our Transport Safety Officers know.

If anyone is in immediate danger while travelling, please ring 999.

For more information on this scheme, please visit BCP Council’s Safer Travel webpage here.

Find out more about the BCP Bus Service Improvement Plan here.