Government Transport Champions Publish Recommendations for addressing Violence Against Women and Girls

July last year saw the Government appoint two Transport Champions as part of their strategy for tacking Violence Against women and Girls (VAWGs). These champions were tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) to look at how the transport network could be improved to better protect women and girls.  

The two appointees are Laura Shoaf, chair of the Urban Transport Group and Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Anne Shaw, Executive Director of TfWM. The two champions spent the last year working with the Department for Transport (DfT) and passenger groups across the UK. 

Key Findings 

The report revealed some damning statistics around how women and girls view the UK’s transport network. In a survey of around 1200, the report found: 

• 85% reported they “... think about my personal safety when planning and making a journey”  

• 66% reported “I plan journeys around times of day when I think it is safer to travel”  

• 65% reported “I avoid travelling alone when it is dark” 

While these statistics may seem shocking, for a large proportion of the population, they will come as no surprise. Of those surveyed, only 25% had not found themselves exposed to some kind of threat, intimidation or harassment while travelling. 

Based on these findings, the report highlighted 13 recommendations on what can be done to improve things in the UK. You can get a detailed breakdown via the embedded video, or you can read the full report here.

DBS Checks for Frontline Transport Staff 

One of the key recommendations is that all frontline transport staff should be subject to DBS Checks. The report points out that “Every day, thousands of children, young people and vulnerable adults will travel” on their own.  

People working in roles where they regularly engage with these groups are usually subject to an Enhanced DBS Check. But this isn’t the case for most frontline transport roles. Implementing these checks, they say, will help improve public confidence in the transport network and help safeguard vulnerable passengers. 

There does seem to be some slight confusion in the report regarding DBS Checks. The fifth recommendation states: 

“Review current safeguarding practices and standardise Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for all front facing staff across the transport industry” 

The report goes on to specifically mention that taxis and private hire drivers should be subject to mandatory DBS Checks and safeguarding training. Enhanced DBS Checks have been mandatory for taxi and private hire drivers since 2012.  

Safeguarding training was also brought in as a requirement for drivers following the publication of the DfT’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020. However, standardising this across all frontline transport roles is definitely a worthwhile recommendation. 

If DBS Checks are introduced for all front line transport staff in the UK, it could be the biggest shake-up of safeguarding practices in the sector since the introduction of DBS Checks for taxi and private hire drivers.

For any public-facing role, it’s always a good idea to invest in safeguarding and DBS Checks are a big part of that. If you need more information on what DBS Checks are appropriate for your organisation, give us a call! Our expert consultants are always on hand to share advice on best practices when it comes to DBS Checks. You can give us a call on 01254 355688 or drop us an email at letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk