Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/I037032/1
Title:	Enhancing transport technologies to support personal security in travel by public transport
Principal Investigator:	Beecroft, Dr ME
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Geography and Environment
Organisation:	University of Aberdeen
Scheme:	First Grant - Revised 2009
Starts:	01 May 2012	Ends:	30 June 2013	Value (£):	88,773
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Transport Ops & Management
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 08 Sep 2011 Process Environment & Sustainability Deferred 24 Nov 2011 Process Environment & Sustainability Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Amongst the advantages that private transport is perceived to hold over public transport is that it is inherently safer in terms of supporting personal security in travel. This perception is linked to notions of public and private space and the extent to which environments can be controlled. Travelling on public transport significantly increases the degree of potential exposure to crime and anti-social behaviour compared to private transport. In addition to these general perceptions, major terrorist attacks on public transport systems such as in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005 have highlighted the vulnerability of public transport to major threats to personal security. Though rare, these events can significantly impact on public perceptions of personal security in travel. Negative perceptions (and experiences) of personal security in travelling by public transport can impact upon travel behaviour with consequences for both individuals and society. They can deter travel by public transport with associated impacts on modal split and the knock-on congestion and pollution impacts that the dominance of private motorised transport entails. A Crime Concern study found that the number of UK public transport trips could rise by up to 10% if passengers felt more secure and that most of this increase would be at off-peak times. Increasing patronage levels, particularly at off-peak times, can make a significant positive contribution to perceptions of personal security in travel by public transport. There can also be significant social exclusion consequences if issues of personal security deter travel by public transport, particularly if private transport options are not available. In economic terms, the Home Office estimated that in 2006/7 the total costs of crime on public transport equated to some £822 million. Transport and transport-related technologies have an important role to play in supporting personal security in travel by public transport. This support ranges from underpinning the operation of transport systems and services to facilitating individual travel choices. These technologies range from applications specifically designed to address security issues, such as CCTV, to technologies with more general applications that may incorporate personal security features e.g. journey planning services. However, research undertaken in the ASSURED project has suggested that the 'hearts and minds' of public transport users are not yet won over to the benefits of technological solutions and this is likely to be a significant barrier to successful implementation. This view has been supported by a recent Department for Transport qualitative study into public perceptions of measures (both technological and non-technological) introduced to enhance personal security while travelling on public transport. The role of technology and its interaction with user needs and perceptions in supporting personal security in travel by public transport is the fundamental theme of this research. The key aim of the research is to develop fundamental understandings relating to this interaction and as a consequence to enable transport technologies to better support personal security in travel by public transport. The research will sequentially address five specific application areas: 1.Provision for public transport traveller information; 2. Provision for contingency planning to support travel by public transport; 3. Automated public transport services; 4. Demand responsive transport services; 5. Secondary effects of security technology solutions in public transport. It will seek to develop understandings of current and potential future personal security issues in these application areas through the deployment of the following methodological tools; literature review, expert interviews, focus groups, scenario planning; and final reporting, which will distil the key findings from the research activities into policy recommendations for decision makers.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.abdn.ac.uk