Would CCTV on Highland buses improve women's safety?
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Concerns over women’s safety has led to demands for CCTV cameras to be installed on all Highland Council bus services.
Greens councillor Chris Ballance (Aird and Loch Ness) has put the idea to the local authority, stating it would help tackle “unacceptable behaviour” impacting women’s “safety, dignity and independence”.
He said: “If women do not feel safe on buses it compromises their independence and their ability to move around – women become second-class citizens.
“CCTV on all buses across Highland would mean that any misdemeanour would be recorded for prosecution, and passengers could have the confidence of knowing that.
“I know there is CCTV on some buses – but passengers need to know that it is on all buses. This is a quick, easy and relatively cheap solution.”
He was unable to provide specific evidence of incidents on local buses that had led to his demand but said: “Safety and perceptions of safety are also so important.
“I know from speaking with constituents that there is a very real fear out there, and this has to be addressed.
“The Scottish Women’s Budget Group survey of women and transport across Scotland published in August found that 26 per cent of women surveyed – rising to 47 per cent of disabled women – are dissatisfied with public transport.
“I hope to be meeting with council officers soon to see how we can progress this.”
Cllr Ballance originally raised the issue at last month’s full council meeting where council leader Raymond Bremner agreed to explore it further.
The council invested in 12 buses to deliver passenger and school transport services at a lower cost than commercial contractors, launching services in a pilot project at the start of this year.
“In terms of our own Highland Council buses, I’ll speak to my colleague Ken Gowans (chairman of the local authority’s economy and infrastructure committee) since this falls under his remit, and we can see how we can work to move forward with this,” Cllr Bremner said.
- Highland Cross transport crisis averted at 11th hour after Highland Council and companies steps in to breach
- Council eyeing up possible new shuttle bus service between airport and new railway station
A recent report from Transport Scotland looking specifically at women and girls’ safety on public transport allowed service users to discuss how effective CCTV might be in improving safety.
One young woman who shared her experience said: “I think the fact that I know there are definitely cameras on buses...that makes me feel safer, because if there was anything to happen then there would be proof.”
However, another said: “Even though the lighting is there, and you’ve got the cameras, they’re only as good as the operator who’s watching them. If something happens, you’ve not got any instant help.”
The report concluded that public transport did not provide the “level of comfort or immediacy of safety that was desired”.
A separate survey of 2000 young people aged 13-18 conducted by Survation found 27 per cent of girls claimed to have experienced sexual harassment, and 44 per cent say they don’t feel safe walking alone down the street.
As the main provider of Highland bus services Stagecoach already has CCTV in all its vehicles, with newer ones also including audio recording.
A spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority, and we want everyone to feel comfortable on board.
“As such all of our vehicles are fitted with CCTV, which provides added security for our customers and staff.”
For Scottish Citylink a spokesperson said: “Passenger safety is always a top priority for us and we would urge customers to alert the driver if they feel unsafe.
“We have a 24-hour control department which drivers can report any suspicious behaviour to and receive support or assistance from the police, if necessary.
“Although we have not had direct contact from Councillor Chris Ballance or the local council, we are always open to new ideas and to working in partnership to ensure continued passenger safety on all our coaches.”
D&E Coaches and Highland Council transport have been contacted for comment.
