TfL launches new campaign to get tough on sexual harassment

TfL has today (October 27) launched a new campaign to tackle sexual harassment on London’s public transport network. 

The new campaign will see the transport body partner with Rail Delivery Group, British Transport Police, Metropolitan Police Service and women’s safety groups to promote a zero-tolerance approach to ‘all forms of unwanted sexual behaviour and sexual harassment’ on the city’s trains and buses. 

Catcalling, exposing, cyber-flashing, pressing, touching, staring and upskirting will all be highlighted in new posters, advertisements and other messaging in a bid to raise awareness and encourage victims and bystanders to report incidents. TfL says the safety of women and girls is ‘an absolute priority’ and that the strongest possible action will be taken against offenders. 

The transport group also hopes to encourage Londoners to look out for each other, while challenging the normalisation of sexual harassment as ‘something that happens’ in commuting life. 

As well as posters at bus stops and stations, magazine and newspaper advertisements and more, the campaign will also see more than 2,500 police and community support officers – plus 500 TfL enforcement officers – patrolling the network. Thousands of frontline transport support staff will also be present and extensive CCTV will be in operation.

TfL will join forces with the British Transport Police and Metropolitan Police Service to hold a ‘week of action’ to mark the campaign’s launch. Activity will include ‘high visibility reassurance policing patrols’, who will engage with passengers and listen to their thoughts and concerns about sexual harassment on public transport. Targeted police activity will also crackdown on known offenders and hotspot locations. 

A survey conducted by the Centre for London in 2019 found that women were almost twice as likely as men to mention personal safety as a deterrent to walking and using public transport. According to TfL, other research has also found that nearly half of those people who experience sexual harassment don’t tell anyone about it. 

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Compliance, Policing, Operations and Security, said tackling sexual harassment on the network was ‘an essential part’ of making it ‘safe, and feel safe, for all our customers and staff’. 

‘The primary aim of this campaign is to challenge this behaviour, sending a message to offenders that it’s wrong, it’s harmful and it won’t be tolerated on our services,’ Hayward added. ‘We’re also asking those that experience or witness sexual harassment to report it so that we can work to prevent it and to take action against perpetrators.’ 

Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor of Transport, said: ‘Any incident of sexual harassment on our public transport network is one too many, and ensuring that women and girls feel safe while travelling around the capital is our top priority. This new campaign sends a strong message to offenders that unwanted sexual behaviour is never acceptable in any form, and encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed it to report it. 

‘We know that women and girls often feel unsure about reporting these types of behaviours, but if it makes you uncomfortable, it’s serious. By working with partners on high visibility patrols, targeted policing and engagement activity, we can drive down sexual harassment on the network, ensure that passengers know what to do if they need help, and bring perpetrators to justice.’ 

If you experience sexual harassment on TfL’s bus network, you can report the incident at met.police.uk or by calling 101. For other TfL services, text the British Transport Police on 61016. Passengers can also contact Crimestoppers. 

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