The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) had the privilege of attending Transport for London (TfL) and London TravelWatch’s first Personal Security Summit. The event brought together leaders from key transport organisations, law enforcements, community groups an local authorities. The summit, aimed at addressing personal safety and security on London’s public transport, focused on tackling issues such as hate crime and harassment, and the need for a pan-industry approach to addressing personal security and ensuring safe journeys for all.
Personal security is more important than ever. The rapid increase in hate erime in the last year, as reported by the Home Office, highlights a disturburing trend that affects individuals across communties.
The summit featured speakers, including Commissioner for Transport Andy Lord, CEO of London TravelWatch Michael Roberts, Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance, and Pek-San Tan, Co-founder of the Campaign Against Racism Group.
An interactive panel chaired by London TravelWatch provided an engaging platform for discussions on the challenges and opportunities in enhancing security across transport services. TfL raised particular concern about the targeting of Muslim women on public transport and emphasised their commitment to combating hate through intersectional staff training and public awareness campaigns.
The panel also stressed the importance of encouraging passengers to report hate crimes on public transport, and the need for stronger support services for survivors. Leaders emphasises increased reporting can help provide targeted support allowing authorities to understand and repsond to safety concerns more effectively.
In the afternoon, spotlight sessions addressing ‘Taking a cross-industry approach’, led by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and TfL, and ‘Improving trust and confidence in reporting’, presented by the British Transport Police (BTP). The BTP session highlighted the signifcant undereporting in cases of sexual harrasment and the pressing need to build trust with the authorities.
The summit concluded with breakout sessions, where the MCB engaged with TfL, BTP, London TravelWatch, and RDG.
We thank TfL and London TravelWatch for hosting this important summit. The MCB looks forward to continuing to work with TfL to build safer, more inclusive transport systems for everyone.