Stagecoach starts women's safety training for bus drivers

The initiative comes after statistics showed that 12 per cent of women in Wales feel "very unsafe" using public transport, and twice as many women as men avoid public transport due to safety concerns.

The training programme, a collaboration between Stagecoach South Wales, Welsh Women’s Aid, and Aberystwyth University, aims to address these concerns.

It is part of a research project funded by The Waterloo Foundation, which explores how women define safety on public transport.

Dr Lucy Baker from Aberystwyth University has conducted workshops and interviews with women across Wales to understand their experiences.

The training covers topics such as recognising indicators of domestic abuse, understanding victim-blaming, and reporting safeguarding issues.

Mark Tunstall, operations director at Stagecoach South Wales, said: "We’re thrilled to be working with Welsh Women’s Aid and Aberystwyth University to deliver such important training.

"We want to ensure that everyone who travels on a Stagecoach bus feels safe and welcomed.

"Delivering this training is the next step in developing our training offering to ensure our drivers have the skills they need to best serve all our customers."

Dr Baker added: "It's very positive to see a collaboration between researchers, a charity, and a transport company to make transport safer for women and girls.

"It’s good to see Stagecoach providing training specifically on women's safety for drivers; it is one of the first bus companies to do so.

"This type of work is very important and is key to ensuring both passengers and staff are cared for."

Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO of Welsh Women's Aid, said: "WWA is delighted to be collaborating with a forward-thinking company like Stagecoach.

"By providing this training to their drivers, they are choosing to be part of the solution, contributing to Change that Lasts for everyone."

People can call the Live Fear Free helpline on 0808 80 10 800 for advice and support.