A public transport safety expert is calling for changes to curb the threat of violence and harassment. Photo / Michael Craig
A public transport safety expert is calling for changes to curb the threat of violence and harassment. Photo / Michael Craig
A public transport safety expert is calling for more prevention tools for riders and a systems-level approach to curb the threat of violence and harassment onboard.
Kirsten Tilleman, a PhD student and public transport enthusiast in the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering and Design, recently published research identifying whereand when safety breakdowns and harassment occurred on public transport for LGBTQIA+ users.
She told the Herald that, while the study focused on anecdotal accounts from a more vulnerable, targeted and marginalised population, incorporating and working to meet the needs identified helps “make everyone safer”.
While the vast majority of public transport journeys take place each day without incident, several high-profile attacks over the past two years – including an unprovoked double stabbing on the route 76 bus that left one man dead and another injured on Monday night – have reignited questions around public transport safety.
An Official Information Act request provided to 1News in March showed reported crimes on transport and at transport hubs had increased in Auckland and Christchurch while plateauing in Wellington.
A total of 3277 offences took place against victims last year, an increase of 6% between 2023 and 2024, while crimes that didn’t involve a victim rose by 14% over the same period.
Police guarding a bus in Ōrākei after two stabbings on the No 76 route on Monday night. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Tilleman said much of the safety breakdowns came from “societal normalisation of harassment as an everyday part of life, especially for marginalised communities.”
However, she said that, because there was a “delineation of space” on public transport, the opportunities for cultural change for marginalised communities were greater than in wider society.
“Public transport isn’t exactly the same as a park or something, because you’ve got public transport agencies, you’ve got opportunities for branding, for putting up messaging, for having your staff that are out there trained for inclusive support of your customers, your riders, and to de-escalate situations.
“So there’s a lot more opportunity to make some of that cultural shift and, again, take more ownership over that space and then become part of the solution for that wider societal shift.”
One of the key takeaways from her study was implementing a systems-level approach to make sure people could report issues and enforce a “code of conduct”.
There was also a strong desire for safety to be community-based, where customers understood what they expected from themselves and others.
“That two-way shared responsibility agreement really came forth and that’s feeding into that cultural change that takes ownership over the space so that things like harassment are seen as not welcome on here.”
Effective and inclusive communication that reflected diversity and culture was key to safety and making sure everyone knew they were included in protections, Tilleman said.
