Stagecoach East buses have become places of refuge for people fearing that they will be subject to abusive behaviour. A new safety partnership has been launched.
Cambridgeshire’s biggest bus operator has struck a partnership with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Police Authority, and the Cambridge and Peterborough Rape Crisis Centre to join the Businesses Against Abuse (BAA) scheme.
Under the scheme, the operator’s existing safeguarding procedures are being enhanced with additional training: drivers are being trained to recognise people who are in vulnerable situations either on or off the bus – and are being given guidance in how to offer help.
If a driver recognises that a women or girl may be in fear of abuse on the street, they are authorised to pull over and ask if they need help and then take her to a safe place on route if necessary.
Likewise, if a driver recognises that a passenger is in fear of abuse, they have been given a range of options to help. These are called the “5 D’s” and include delegating, by involving others, distracting, and delaying until it is safe to challenge.
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All Stagecoach East buses now display BAA stickers with QR codes by their entrance doors, designating them as safe-spaces and all their buses have multiple cameras, so cases of abuse will be Recorded and Reported.
The BAA scheme is now in effect on all Stagecoach East buses, throughout Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and the wider region.
The partnership was officially launched at a ceremony at the Milton Park & Ride in Cambridge, attended by women’s safety campaigners and elected officials. They were able to look round a specially branded bus, which promotes the BAA scheme.
Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, said: “Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls is something that we all need to take responsibility for, and we are working very hard to play our part in this.
“I would encourage anyone who is in fear or abuse, either on the bus or if they see a bus, to make themselves known to the driver, who will try to help them.”
He said: “We have no silver bullet, and we cannot solve every problem, but we have the desire and the determination to play our part, and over time our drivers will become ever more confident with what we are asking of them.
“We also hope that, because our buses will be very visible as a place where victims can go and report abuse, it will deter would-be abusers.”
Norah Al-Ani, Director of the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, said: “We are really pleased to be working together on this – the training we have delivered to the Training Team so far has been a real success, and I hope that it will make a noticeable difference in our communities.
“If a woman or a girl, who is the subject of abuse, sees a Stagecoach East bus, they will now be able to recognise it as a place of safety.”
Nicky Peacock, Businesses Against Abuse Accreditation Scheme Force Lead at Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said: “We know that the figures for Violence Against Women and Girls are shocking throughout our communities, so these kinds of partnerships are invaluable in raising this as an issue of concern and giving victims somewhere they can go to find safety.
“I would encourage more local businesses to be like Stagecoach East and join BAA.”
Approximately 300 local businesses are part of Businesses Against Abuse, with approximately 3,000 people trained.
Chief Inspector Ian Lombardo said: “We are extremely grateful to Stagecoach for signing up and I have to say, I know I’m not alone in being very impressed with the newly branded bus – it has been brilliantly designed.
“We now have a network of bus drivers trained to spot predatory behaviour and able to support women and girls who find themselves feeling unsafe while out and about.
“Making our communities safer is a partnership effort and we could not make the impact we are striving for without the support of local businesses.”
The free BAA scheme and training is funded by the Home Office’s Safer Streets 5 Fund, led by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), was rolled out last year.
PCC Darryl Preston, who attended the launch, said: “With at least one in twelve women becoming a victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence every year, I will continue to do everything within my power to eradicate these abhorrent crimes in all their forms.
“I am wholly committed to supporting the police and partners to take an early intervention approach to help prevent these crimes from happening in the first place. This innovative project is the largest Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevention initiative our county has ever seen, and I applaud Cambridge Rape Crisis and Stagecoach for fully embracing this initiative.”
BAA is open to any business which feels its staff would benefit and, following training, their premises will be officially accredited by the police as part of the scheme.
They will receive a staff training video, window stickers, lanyards and wrist bands to showcase their commitment to tackling predatory behaviour.
For firms who would like to sign up, there are three training days planned in Cambridge:
Friday, 25 October at Allia future Business Centre, King Hedges Road. Session one: 9.30am to 12.30pm, session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
Thursday, 14 November at Grafton Centre conference room. Session one: 9.30am to 12.30pm, session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
Wednesday, 11 December at Central Library, Grande Arcade. Session one: 10am to 1pm. Session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.
Those interested in attending should email nicky.Peacock@cambs.police.uk with how many places are required and which session they would prefer to attend. Businesses should also provide the names of people attending, job titles and, if relevant, SIA license number.
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