New Travel Safe officers on board buses in a bid to improve safety in Gosport and Portsmouth
New Travel Safe Scheme launched to help people travel with confidence
The first ‘Travel Safe Officers’ are appearing on buses across Gosport and Portsmouth as part of an initiative to help passengers feel safer and more confident when travelling.
The initiative combines the new dedicated Travel Safe Officers who will ride selected bus routes at key times such as evenings and weekends, with a range of measures designed to support safe, comfortable and confident journeys by public transport.
The Travel Safe scheme adds to investment in bus stops, shelters, lighting and CCTV, as part of the initiative jointly-led by Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council, which will also deter anti-social behaviour, and encourage more people to choose public transport.
The first Travel Safe Officers are already on the ground, with recruitment continuing to build the team over the coming months. They will work closely with transport operators and police partners, to provide a visible presence on the network, offer reassurance to passengers, and help address concerns quickly and effectively.
Councillor Steve Forster, executive member for highways and passenger transport at Hampshire County Council, said: "The bus is a lifeline for many people, whether they're travelling to work, school, shopping or spending time with family and friends. People should feel safe and confident making those journeys, including the wait at the bus stop and walking to and from their stop.
"This initiative is a direct response to what passengers have told us matters to them. By combining practical improvements such as CCTV coverage and new bus shelters with better lighting with visible Travel Safe Officer patrols on the network, we're helping to make bus travel in Gosport more welcoming and reassuring for everyone. As well as giving passengers greater confidence, the scheme will help tackle issues of anti-social behaviour that occurs along bus routes at an early stage and support the excellent bus services we have locally.
Councillor Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport at Portsmouth City Council, said: "Most bus journeys in Portsmouth and Gosport are safe and incident free. However, we know that concerns about anti-social behaviour can be a barrier for some people, particularly women and girls. We want everyone to feel safe and confident using public transport, and these measures have been shaped by listening to feedback from passengers and the wider community.
"The Travel Safe Scheme builds on travel safety improvements already being delivered across Portsmouth such as better lighting at bus stops and more CCTV at stops, by adding dedicated officers who provide a visible and reassuring presence on the network. Portsmouth's Travel Safe Officers are already getting to know regular passengers and becoming welcome figures on our public transport network."
The Travel Safe initiative, funded through the Government's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), brings together Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Gosport Borough Council, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, First Bus and the Gosport Ferry.
Find out more about the Portsmouth travel safe scheme: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/parking-roads-and-travel/travel/travel-safely-on-the-bus
Find out more about the Hampshire scheme: https://www.hants.gov.uk/News/20260908GosportTravelSafePartnership
Report an incident with a bus stop or bus shelter in Gosport here: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/report-a-problem-bus-stop.