Committee publication · Correspondence · 10 June 2026
Letter from the Minister for Local Transport, Department for Transport relating to violence against women and girls, dated 5 June 2026
From: Transport Committee
Summary
The Minister for Local Transport outlines the Department for Transport's nine commitments under the Government's 'Freedom from violence and abuse' cross-government strategy, dated 5 June 2026. The letter details progress on initiatives spanning rail station safety accreditation, CCTV connectivity, bus industry training, reporting mechanisms, taxi licensing reforms, and roads policing, with delivery timelines extending to 2029–30.
Key findings
- DfT has completed review of Secure Stations Scheme and created new Safer Railway Scheme with VAWG assessment criteria for rail operators, launching Spring/Summer 2026
- Network Rail received grant funding for first year of CCTV connectivity project; works to connect station CCTV to British Transport Police begin 2027/28, with full delivery by 2029–30
- Mandatory training guidance for bus staff on recognising and responding to VAWG and anti-social behaviour to be published in 2027; CPT has already developed 'Safer Travel for Women & Girls – Better for All' training module
- National Guidance on Safety and Accessibility of Stopping Places to be published end of 2026 following stakeholder engagement; qualitative research on reporting barriers due end of 2026
- English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 now has Royal Assent, enabling National Standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing; draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny in 2027
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Key actors
Lilian Greenwood MP (Minister for Local Transport), Ruth Cadbury MP (Transport Committee Chair), British Transport Police, Network Rail, Great British Railways, Confederation of Passenger Transport, Home Office, National Police Chiefs' Council
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“The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable. We are actively supporting the Government's ambition to halve VAWG over the next decade, through an ambitious …”
Key Quotes
“The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable. We are actively supporting the Government's ambition to halve VAWG over the next decade, through an ambitious, evidence-based programme to help tackle VAWG on transport.”
“The Government wants everyone to feel and be safe when travelling, including women and girls. DfT has an important role to play by providing leadership and driving change in collaboration with operators and local authorities.”
“We are clear that these measures alone are not a complete solution for all the issues with the current licensing framework, but they are an important first step in addressing the issues highlighted by Baroness Casey, prioritising public safety.”
“VAWG is often hidden and underreported, therefore we are continuing to build our evidence base to better understand the prevalence of VAWG and ASB across the transport network so we can better target interventions which support our progress …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗