Nottingham City Transport, Nottingham Community Transport and Nottingham Express Transit (NET) have signed an agreement to commit to tackling hate crime on public transport.
They work together on the TravelSafe initiative, which seeks safe and acceptable conduct on buses and trams. That has included visiting schools to discuss appropriate behaviour with pupils and, more recently, focusing on hate crime. The operators say that they are continuing to provide hate crime training to transport staff.
A signing took place at NET’s tram depot at Wilkinson Street Park & Ride. The ‘No To Hate’ pledge was launched in 2015 and calls for a safer Nottinghamshire by following the main objectives of the pledge, which include to:
– tackle prejudice
– reach out to support those who are targets of hate
– ensure that policies and procedures deal effectively with hate crime
– consider specific ways that organisations can promote respect for all people and make Nottinghamshire a place where people feel safe; and
– train staff to be aware of hate crime issues and how to respond to victims who report incidents
Nicola Tidy, Marketing and Communications Director at Nottingham City Transport, said: “Following our successful TravelSafe partnership with NET and Nottingham Community Transport we are looking forward to expanding our partnership working. All of our drivers receive regular training, including how to handle difficult situations, and we hope to expand this to raise awareness of hate crime and how to report it to our Control Room and Nottinghamshire Police. Signing up to the ‘No To Hate’ pledge is a continuation of our commitment to ensuring public transport is a safe and pleasant way to get around the City.”
Paul Robinson, General Manager at NET, said: “The welfare of our customers and staff is our number one priority and we have always been committed to taking as strong a stance as possible on prejudice and discrimination. By signing this pledge we hope to work alongside our fellow transport providers and organisations from across Nottinghamshire to help say no to hate in all walks of life.”
Councillor Toby Neal, Executive Assistant for Equalities at Nottingham City Council, said: “Public transport is a vital service, and we are rightly proud of our network of trams and buses, enabling all our citizens to get to work, to access services or simply to enjoy themselves and they should be able to use transport without fear. Nottingham is full of decent people but when the minority misbehave it’s important that they get the support they need from transport staff as well as the police. I am delighted today that our tram and bus transport services are coming together, pledging ‘No to Hate’ for our citizens. The City Council is committed to all citizens having the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect. We want citizens to know that they can report any hate crime and the response will be prompt and effective”
And Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s PCC, said: “Hate crime, in any form, is unacceptable. There is no excuse. People should be able to use public transport in safety and without abuse. Together we must make it clear that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, which is why anyone who sees an incident taking place, or is a victim of such behaviour, is urged to report it immediately.”
Pictured: Nottingham tram stop.
