What actions is the Welsh Government taking to ensure passenger safety on public transport?
Ensuring passenger safety on public transport is vital as we encourage more people to make sustainable transport choices. The British Transport Police (BTP) have primary responsibility for managing crime and anti-social behaviour on the public transport network and the Welsh Government provides funding to deploy additional officers in Wales.
From the passenger safety perspective on buses, there are regulations in place that bus companies must abide with in relation to bus capacity and the number of passengers that are permitted to stand at any one time when seating is not available on a bus. Vehicle roadworthiness is also of paramount importance and is maintained through further constringent bus industry regulations around processes and procedures that bus operators must follow when holding a PSV operator licence. This is enforced by the Driver, Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and regulated by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales. Many bus operators also have CCTV in operation on their buses as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour.