A new nationwide training initiative has been introduced across the UK bus and coach industry, aimed at helping address violence against women and girls (VAWG) while improving confidence for passengers using public transport.
Developed by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), the programme was officially introduced at a launch event hosted by First Bus in Basildon. At its core is a newly designed Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) module, created to give drivers the knowledge and practical skills needed to identify, respond to, and report incidents of harassment or abuse.
Created in collaboration with training specialists Understood, the module combines operational insight with real-life experiences to ensure it reflects the situations drivers may face on a daily basis.
The training encourages a flexible, situation-based approach. Drivers are guided to intervene in ways that are appropriate and safe, whether that’s diffusing a situation through distraction, addressing behaviour directly where possible, seeking support from control teams or emergency services, or recording key details to assist with follow-up action.
“Dawsongroup bus and coach takes its social responsibility very seriously and recognises that many women use bus services.
We were a founding business in the now firmly embedded ‘Women in bus and coach’ initiative and this Government’s VaWG policy, now part of bus legislation, is designed to ensure that the profession acts to ensure that everyone can use public transport safely and confidently.
When the sectors trade association launched the training program, we were delighted to be invited to attend and show our support for something so vital to society.” – Paul Sainthouse, Managing Director, Dawsongroup bus and coach.
The module will be part of the mandatory CPC training for professional drivers and will be introduced nationwide.
With millions of journeys taking place every day, the bus and coach industry continues to prioritise passenger safety. This latest initiative forms part of a broader commitment to creating safer spaces on public transport and supporting the wider national effort to tackle violence against women and girls.
Read more here.
Carole Stevens and Paul Sainthouse – Members of Women in Bus and Coach
