Design and maintenance of the infrastructure and vehicles
Design and Maintenance of the Infrastructure and Vehicles
It is now widely recognised among transport operators that the design of the infrastructure can reduce opportunities for criminal behaviour and reduce fears for the passenger. This guidance note outlines the key principles for planning and design of the transport infrastructure and vehicles.
While there is general agreement that planning has an important role in contributing to personal security and the security of property, there are no 'golden rules' for design. Situations differ in terms of the wider environment, usage, existing facilities, crime problems, resources and competing demands.
Moreover, planners seldom start with a clean sheet. In many cases they have the task of ameliorating the effects of the designer of previous decades or even centuries. The scope for achieving personal security through design will differ greatly between new developments and where improvements are being made to existing structures.
Consultation
Early consultation with those who will actually use, or would like to use the facility can help to maximise features for personal security. Local knowledge can avoid many of the basic mistakes which can later prove costly to rectify.
Front line staff also have an important contribution to make in ensuring that the security features are practical and will realistically fulfil the desired objectives.
Consultation should have the scope to influence decisions and not be a cosmetic exercise where those consulted have little or no power. It requires access to information and a commitment on behalf of those engaged in the process to be open and honest about their proposals and the decision-making process.
Care must be taken to ensure that the process is not used by an unrepresentative minority to delay decisions which would bring improvements for the wider majority. The timescale for consultation needs to be clear and well publicised.
Conflicting views are likely to emerge, and negotiation and compromise will be needed to reach a satisfactory outcome.
Designing for Personal Security
The location of a new transport infrastructure can influence the risks presented to passengers, staff and property For example, the siting of a bus stop by a busy public house can present waiting passengers with the threat of anti-social behaviour, and the siting in an isolated place can reinforce feelings of vulnerability.
Through informal surveillance passengers can both see and be seen by passers-by, road users, residents and local workers. If a path, platform or shelter is remote from view, travellers will often feel unsafe and avoid using it. Opportunities for vandalism will be increased. Informal surveillance can be enhanced, for example, by siting platforms on embankments rather than in cuttings, and by the presence of nearby traders. The open design of vehicles enables passengers to be within the sight of staff and other passengers.
Formal surveillance can be provided by the presence of staff, and extended through the use of CCTV. Mirrors can enable a bus driver to observe vulnerable areas of the vehicle. Consideration should be given to using shorter vehicles and single deck buses.
Boundaries may be needed to define the perimeters of transport infrastructure. These need to be constructed in a way that does not restrict informal surveillance. For example, a high solid wall obstructs visibility while, 'open' fencing does not.
Landscaping can improve the appearance of the infrastructure and create harmony with the local environment, but care needs to be taken to ensure that landscape features do not become targets for vandalism or provide cover for criminal activity. For example, dense shrubs can provide hiding places for potential offenders, and create anxiety for passengers and pedestrians.
Lighting can help allay fears after dark. This should simulate daylight but not create pools of intense brightness, silhouette on-coming pedestrians or temporarily blind people with its intensity.
Visibility is a key requirement in designing for personal security. It is not only the ability to see ahead and along a route, but in the event of a potential threat, to have the space and time to plan and take avoiding action. Blind corners, recesses and wide pillars can provide hiding places for the attacker Where these are unavoidable, sightlines can be extended through the use of mirrors. The use of clear glazing can facilitate visibility while providing protection from the weather.
Entrapment is a fear of many passengers. Where possible, alternative routes should be provided so that passengers can make choices about which feels safest to use. More than one entrance/exit enables a passenger to escape when one is blocked.
Deterring misuse of public transport facilities, while providing a comfortable and sheltered environment for the legitimate traveller, is a design challenge which requires compromise. A waiting area may inadvertently provide accommodation or a facility for people whose presence is a source of anxiety to passengers. The provision of a toilet may be seen as a necessary facility for passengers but may attract undesirable activity.
Public art features may be used to enhance the individual identity of the infrastructure and its quality image, and can have the effect of deterring vandalism and misuse.
Community art, involving local people and often using a local theme, may be used to generate a sense of local ownership and encourage greater informal surveillance, and more responsible use.
The wider environment affects the passenger's overall sense of security on their journey. The same principles apply - visibility, lighting, landscaping and avoiding entrapment. Usually the adjacent property does not belong to the transport provider and effective measures to enhance personal security often call for a multi-agency approach.
The Importance of Maintenance
Infrastructure which is clean and well maintained creates a sense that the environment is controlled and managed, thus reducing fear
Many operators have a policy for the rapid removal of graffiti, based on evidence that this reduces the likelihood of recurrence.
Some of the design features mentioned in this guidance note as enhancing security soon become a potential threat if they are not well maintained. For example, regular inspection and maintenance is essential to ensure that landscaping does not deteriorate into a hazard, providing opportunities for crime and generating fear. Lighting requires frequent inspection with rapid repair or replacement as necessary. Out of date publicity, posters or advertisements should be replaced.
