Education
The Safer Travel Partnership aims to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and promote safer travel, responsible and respectful behaviour across the West Midlands public transport network. Young people need their independence and to be able to travel safely and confidently for education, skills, employment or for leisure. Students need strategies to stay safe when travelling and understand potential risks and how to minimise them. Luckily most students know how to behave when using public transport but it is always good to remind them of expected behaviour when using the bus, train or tram.
Passenger code of conduct
To promote responsible and respectful behaviour, in conjunction with our partner organisations, we have created a passenger Code of Conduct, to re-enforce our expectations of acceptable behaviour when travelling by bus, train or tram. When travelling in their uniform students are representing their school and bad behaviour gives the wrong impression to your community and discourages others from using public transport.
Safer travel sessions
Our public transport network in the West Midlands is one of the safest in the UK but young people need their independence; to travel safely and confidently for education, skills, employment or for leisure. Students need strategies to stay safe when travelling and understand potential risks and how to minimise them. Our education sessions are suitable for schools/colleges and are designed to support PSHE, enrichment days, well-being or assemblies but if you have specific concerns the sessions can be tailored to your particular issue.
Topics covered might include:
Awareness of personal safety
Anti-Social Behaviour
Making responsible decisions
Thinking about the impact of their choices
Bus stop safety
Respect for other travellers and staff members
How to report issues
Road safety
Teaching resources: Key Stage 3
Whilst using the resources on Safer Travel Education, we encourage you to think about and explore several key themes:
- Public perception: how people using public transport observe anti-social behaviour and the affect it can have on individuals
- Community: how anti-social behaviour impacts on communities
- Environment: how anti-social behaviour can affect the physical environment around us
- Individual Responsibility: promoting good behaviour amongst students using public transport
This information has been presented to you in the form of a lesson plan, however the information and activities provided can be carried out at your own pace over a number of weeks/lessons, depending upon the level of detail you wish to go into.
Anti-Social Behaviour
The term anti-social behaviour can often be difficult to understand or define. These resources explore different interpretations of ASB and its relationship with crime. Students are also encouraged to think about what behaviours can be considered as anti- social and how they can affect the people and places around them.
Graffiti
Graffiti remains a key concern and priority for transport authorities and operators not only in the West Midlands but across the UK. In addition to harms such as financial costs and service disruption, and vandalism, graffiti strongly influences people’s perception of crime and personal safety.
Smoking
Smoking is now widely recognised as a form anti-social behaviour. Smoking in all enclosed public spaces became illegal in England in July 2007. The perception that is created by people smoking on the public transport network is one that Transport authorities across the country are working hard to combat.