Only 8% of transport professionals say they are very confident identifying ways to improve safety for women and girls, despite 61% saying they are extremely or very aware of the risks they face.
The findings come from the first sector-wide Women’s Safety Baseline Survey, published by Women in Transport in partnership with WSP. It gathered 737 responses from professionals working across transport modes and the wider built environment.
Gap between responsibility and support
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, said they had received no training or guidance on women’s safety. While 71% viewed the issue as part of their professional responsibility, only 18% said their employer treated it as a clear priority.
The survey also found limited awareness of existing guidance. Respondents were asked about eight UK and international design and policy resources, including materials from the Greater London Authority, the Royal Town Planning Institute and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. None had been used by more than 4% of respondents, and none was known to more than 22%.
Data collection was another reported weakness. Only 12% said their organisation regularly collected and actively used safety data broken down by gender, age or ethnicity. A further 36% did not know whether their organisation collected such data.
Leadership identified as key enabler
Strong leadership commitment was the factor most frequently identified as enabling progress, cited by 41% of respondents. That compared with 16% who selected funding.
The most commonly reported barrier was a lack of awareness and understanding among staff, at 63%. Funding was cited by 53% and competing workload pressures by 50%, while cultural and societal attitudes were identified by 42%.
Sonya Byers OBE, chief executive of Women in Transport, said: “The transport sector clearly recognises the importance of addressing the safety of women and girls across our network. More than that, transport professionals feel personally responsible for tackling the issue. However, we have made limited progress on recommendations for better training, data collection and consistent reporting set out by the VAWG Transport Champion, Laura Shoaf and Anne Shaw, in 2021.
“We are at a pivotal moment for transport across the UK. Women in Transport is calling on our sector leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the safety of women and girls and equip transport professionals with the training and confidence to make travelling across the UK feel safe for everyone. This is our collective responsibility. The time to work together is now.”