The government's goal of producing an Integrated Transport Policy places increasing emphasis upon the railways. As congestion in Britain's cities continues to impact detrimentally upon health, economic vitality and urban futures, the railways offer a mode of transport that can help to resolve such issues. Furthermore, public transport has a crucial role to play in helping to alleviate social exclusion - since not all of society can afford to or wish to operate a motor vehicle. It has been demonstrated that a significant factor in determining mode of transport is personal safety / security concerns of potential users - their perceptions will influence levels of patronage. Crime and nuisance on public transport and, more specifically, the railways has therefore emerged as a relatively recent focus for investigation. This paper investigates station design and management, why people feel 'unsafe' and presents the findings from a preliminary study of crime and nuisance on the Valley Lines network in South Wales. It argues that a station-specific approach is necessary to more fully engage with the highly complex relationship that exists between perceptions of crime and nuisance and station design. (A)
Samenvatting