Safety and Security of Public Transit - Research Paper Example

? Safety and Security of Public Transit Role of Public Transport: Portability and access to employment, community resources, school/ college and health care is provided by public transport. Over 90 percent of the people who travel by public transport do not own a car hence they have to rely on public transit. It benefits both, those who choose to ride on public transportation and to those who have no other choice that is they do not have their own private cars (private transportation). Basic mobility service is provided to such people through public transit. Public transit modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams, ferries, trains and rapid transit like metro and subways. Access to jobs, healthcare, and other services hinges upon access to reliable, affordable, and efficient public transit for masses. The increased use of public transit in both developed and developing countries show that people clearly value public transit. The availability of public transport is quite important for people with limited incomes. Public transit has its own importance. It can strengthens the economy, creates jobs, reduces traffic congestion, travel times and air pollution in case of rapid transit and save energy and oil consumption, if public investments are increased in this area. Today, transit system development is being used as a tool to encourage business growth, reduce sprawl, create a sense of community, rejuvenate obsolete towns and declining cities, and also enlargetax revenues for the authorities. Scale of the issue: Safety and security must have equal consideration along with economic and environmental aspect no matter what transport mode is being used. An accident caused by a bit of negligence reduces confidence in the safety of transport system. Accidents can lead to injuries and deaths and so does massive environmental changes takes place due to it. Significant commercial and financial consequences are likely to happen. Matters are often brought before courts and a criminal prosecution takes place which not only ruins one’s career but their life’s as well. Worldwide there are estimated to be approximately one million road accident casualties each year and around 10 million people are injured, many with long term disabilities (World Health Report 1999). Accidents are usually a combination of unrelated events and in many modes human element is the significant in this casual chain. People rarely make mistakes intentionally but these unintended mistakes and blunders lead to huge consequences for which someone has to pay the price of it. Most important transport problems take place when transport systems for any reasons is not ablesatisfy the requirements of mobility and such problems usually takes place in urban areas where there is large density. Productivity of any nation today is largely dependent on the efficiency of its transport system. This is because today transit system is required to move labor, consumers and goods from multiple sources to multiple destinations. In most parts of the world especially in developing countries public transit systems are either over or under used (Mitechelle, Daniel, 2005). During peak hours public transit system has to cope with the large amount of potential passenger while this creates a discomfort among the passengers due to the large crowd. Transport services are unable to cover their operating costs at times due to low fare rates this makes them financially unstable and infeasible. Every public transit systems cannot generate sufficient income to cover its operating costs although numerous efforts have been done to cover the operating costs like cross-financing and provision of subsidies from the government. Some public transportation is quite expensive e.g.taxis, airports supershuttles and these are used for limited purposes. People prefer to use bus or rail as the transit system. One factor thatinfluences the degree to which the public will use mass transit is reliability. Reliability is associated with labor relations. Strike on transit systems motivates riders to rely on personal automobile transportation instead of public transportation. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in America, homeland security became both a national and state concern. Although the mode of transportation used for the attack was airplanes but there is an increased vulnerability to other forms of attack. Seaports and airports are the two places which carry a significant volume of international trade. An attack on ports can have a huge impact on world trade and on the local economy as well. Ports can also be used to attack the surrounding cities (Mitechelle,Daniel, 2005). The most efficient transportation mode for urban areas especially in large cities is known to be the public transit. Decline in the public transit systems in many parts of the world has also been observed and it is due to significant issues. Urban areas with low population are not entertained with public transit system. This is due to the fact that it is quite difficult to operate public transport where people live in scattered form. This also contributes towards higher operating cost because of large distances are to be covered and less generation of revenues. In view of cheap and an omnipresent road transport systems in dense urban areas, public transit systems had to bear the loss ofridership in such urban areas. The level of service of the public transit will become more inappropriate if the level of private transportation increase. Expansion of public transportation systems is opposed in most areas of the world particularly in North America since these public vehicles are used by criminals and homeless persons to expand into new areas. The issue of personal security affects many people’s decisions to use public transportation(Dr.Jean). In fact some homeless people use part of the public transit system like stations or trains as sleeping shelters.On the other hand it’s quite safer to travel in public transports than in private cars. Surveys have shown that riding the bus is 170 times safer than travelling in a private car. Theorists believe that transit stations are the prime places where crime against person can be facilitated. Stations are mostly concentrated with large number of people that easily become target for pick pocketing, purse snatching and robbery. Similarly social incivilities like prostitutes, drug dealers and vagrants are related to the crimes happening at public transit stations. Large number of people at the stations was thought to depreciate crime but it is now seen that the number of robberies taking place at public transit stations are inversely correlated with the density of the people at the stations. Safety: Public transportation is much easier, less stressful and more cost-effective rather than traveling by car or taxis. Generally transit risks/accidents tend to receive more attention than private transport risk/accidents. Incidents that kill or injure a few passengers receive national and international media attention and this is due to the fact that public transit accidents are rare. While private automobile crashes and if only a few people are killed then it is considered as local news. An injury incident of private transportation does not receive any media attention at all. Traffic accidents are observed to cause more harmful consequences than terrorist attacks. In UK on an average nine people die and over 800 are injured in road accidents. The 7th July London terrorist death shows six days of normal traffic fatalities. Around 191 people were killed on 11th March 2004 by Madrid bombers in Spain. This is equal to about 12 or 13 days of normal traffic deaths in Spain itself. Twice as many people died in road accidents as were killed by theterrorists in Northern Ireland during the worst 25 years of violence. In Israel the annual road traffic death toll has been two or three times higher than civilian deaths by Palestinian terrorists during the violent years of 2000 through 2003. The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks killed about the same number of people as a typical month of U.S. traffic accidents. According to official reports, terrorists killed 25 Americans worldwide in 2002, 23 in 2003, and none in 2004, while about 42,000 Americans died in traffic accidents each of these years (Todd, 2005). This completely does not suggest that transit terrorism is insignificant. In fact, transit terrorism is a serious threat at both national and state level. Terrorism and traffic accidents both causes direct and indirect harm to the public. Direct harm is the loss of lives, injuries and properties while indirect harm includes the state of fear, question and confusion in the nations mind. To protect transit user’ssafety andtheir sense of security it is important for the government to take strong actions. Our society should work keenly to prevent terrorist attacks, traffic incidents, and bring the culprit to trial. All those people connected to public transit system like the transportation professionals, operators and the passengersas well they should be careful observant and responsive at all times. Many transport organizations these days are working aggressively to increase security and safety system at public transit systems. Different measures should be taken to increase passengers’ sense of personal security when using public transport. They should be educated on how to respond to critical situations and how to keep themselves safe and secure. Alsopassengers should avoid doing errors that might result in harmful consequences later on. Different transit organizations should demonstrate safety features to educate their customers. Educational initiative can include people of all age groups from primary school children to older teenagers including adults and youngsters with special educational needs (Todd, 2005). Conveying messages about security and doing practical activities and games which are a part of the initiative can be included. Efforts should be made to make youngsters who are engaged in anti-social and rule breaking behavior, realize that their carelessness can bring harm on a large scale. Consistent enforcement activity is required to change such behaviors. The main focus is to tell the public about the role, purpose and outcomes of these initiatives. A safety department should be made in all public transit systems and they should bear the task to educate their passengers on how to respond to different situation’s that might take place when you are on board. Fliers at stations should be handed over containing information about emergency features. A Public transportation safety board should be created in every country and city which should be responsible for the looking after all the flaws and blunders in all modes of the public transportation system. Its objective should be to reduce the amount and severity of public transportation accidents and also to take preventive measures in order to lessen the rate of these accidents. The board should have the authority to investigate, analyze and report for accidents that take place. System safety program plans are to be submitted by each public transportation system and the board is to review and analyze those programs. Proactive approach in improving public safety is to be adopted by it. Analyzing critical safety issues and establishing new safety rules and regulations and system procedure based on the accident investigations should be part of their job. In most of the developing countries public transport hardly meets safety standards. Ineffective maintenance and inspections mechanism by authorities leads to terrible accidents. Countries like in Pakistan buses and coaches are remodeled to pack in as many passengers as possible. Overloading and reckless driving is a common site in the country. If an accident of any kind occurs such vehicles turn into death-traps. The barred windows cut off all possible escape routes. Emergency exits in such a situation are the stuff of wishful thinking. The hierarchy of the quality of how efficient and effective depends on the degree of safety. There are three classes of safety: safety from crime, safety from accidents and perception of security (Tri, Hisahshi, 2005). Security: Security of public transit is a major issue. Since a public transport carries more passenger than a car (private transport) therefore a public transport tends to pose a higher risk towards safety and security. The problem of safety and security is worse in developing countries due to the lack of facilities and integrated approaches(Tri, Hishahi, 2005). People at all times feel completely safe and secure while travelling in a public transport. Increasing security measures will include initiatives like staffing, instigate the use of CCTV camera’s in all transit stations and nodes, infrastructure initiative, showcase routes, crime prevention and providing clean well maintained facilities.Staffing initiatives such as security guards on trains, railway and buses will considerably enhance passengers sense of personal security. When people will see security guards, ticket inspectors, railway enforcement officers and other transport personnel it will make them feel that someone is on control and they can approach or summon help if required. The role and purpose of the security staff needs to be communicated to the public in transit. The presence of staffing for security purposes is a good starting point in order to reassure passengers. Methods for contacting staff in cases of emergency can be displayed. Uses of CCTV cameras make the passengers feel safer. CCTV as a security measure makes the public feel connected to the transit system and implying that the transit system is being supervised at all times. CCTV camera’s dissuade potential criminals and restrain anti-social behaviour. Their presence provides an additional reassurance.Poorinfrastructure often makes passengers feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Infrastructure initiatives like new station design, lighting, shelter and introducing new transit stops can impact strongly on public’s sense of security. Poor quality and disfigured facilities suggests that the transport network do not care for and is not supervised. Moreover there are high risks of vagrants, robbers to commit crime or indulge in any kind of anti-social behaviour.Clean and well-maintained facilities, with good lighting and clear sight lines, give a sense of personal security and comfort to the passengers. Such measures will help women who are travelling alone or at night reducing their uneasiness and discomfort. Most importantly providing potential passengers with the accurate real time travel information gives passengers a sense of control over their journey. It even reduces the feeling of stress and uncertainty. Providing older people, women with young children and disabled people accessible design features, such as low floors and space for wheel chairs and buggies can enhance the security system (Kerri). High quality staffing and driver training will cause a positive impact since drivers are thought to be careless and inconsiderate. Transit operators should be trained after every six months’ time period also their performance should be checked time by time; this will eliminate any weak link in the chain. Gateway checks and ticket blocks should be introduced to combat ticketless travellers. Proactive approaches towards crime prevention should be adopted to reassure people that crime is taken seriously by transport operators. In developing countries the where the situation of safety and security in public transits is worse there are namely two options to solve this problem. One is high capital intensive and the other low capital intensive. Low cost intensive includes improving the existing resources to solve the problems at low cost. This technique might take longer time to approach the expected impact but the impact in the long run will be effective. In terms of financial and economic aspects low cost intensive is quite feasible for developing countries. Infrastructure design: Safety is a necessity rather than luxury but people often analyze safety as luxury when taken in terms of cost-benefit analysis. The benefits of safety should appropriately be valued and until that is not done safety will be seen as luxury. It is the duty of government to exercise safety benefits in all transportation systems so that its attributes are valued by all. Optimizing traffic management and improving traffic flow is a result of successful transport solution which can only be achieved if there exists a well-planned transportation infrastructure. Government should focus on building a feasible transport system which has an efficient and productive transport network. This will result in lasting environmental benefits along with the added benefit that such transportations will last long and might even generate more revenues. Environmental engineering are required for planning, designing and building the transport system. Communications and control technology and economic planning skills are also needed to build highways, and other transport systems. Sustainable transport solutions need to be economically possible also. Legal frameworks should be established to implement transport policy and strategies.Pedestrian movement should be the main focus of an engineer when designing for an urban space.Major infrastructure project require solutions or deigns that are cost-effective, efficient, sustainable and actualized in an environment in which risks can be managed. Infrastructure must be feasible if it is planned to benefit coming generations and make a positive contribution to the future. The public transport infrastructure planners decisions are influenced by: transport master planning, regulatory policy assistance, port landside development planning, strategic investment planning, reliability and safety performance, risk assessment and management, public transport operations and infrastructure planning, highway, motorway and rural and urban road design ,heavy and light railways, subways, passenger stations and train stabling design , private transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure design , traffic signal design ,local area traffic management and intersection capacity analysis and design (Peter). Strategies such as effective lighting, CCTV camera systems, security guards and signage reduce anti-social behavior because of the fear and the likelihood of being caught. Crime prevention through environmental design should be considered when planning and designing public transport facilities. It includes maximum use of transparent materials within the public transport facility like toughened glass, maximizing the use of easily maintained (anti-graffiti) materials for infrastructure, providing maintenance schedules, locating public transport facilities in clearly visible locations, locating independent transit stations near activity centers for example near shops, service stations etc., signing the area is under constant supervision. The objective is to minimize opportunity for crime to occur at public transit places, through the application of preventative design measures. Maintenance is one of the significant issues for all public transport modes especially the maintenance of roads and bridges. This includes preventative maintenance such as sealing cracks in road pavements andcleaning drains to minimizeincidents .Regular road maintenance offers major benefits. An infrastructure intercession is one of the key elements irrespective of all the methodologies adopted for tackling public transit safety. These include addressing issuesof road design and conducting road safety audits. Railway safety can beimproved by improving level crossings. In public transport network elements of the information system must be visible to all the public and this is done by demonstrating the message in terms of graphic treatment, different color scheme and for this signage is used. Signage’s should be highly visible and should have information clearly understood to public. Improvement of public transport performance requires planning where safety and security are two of the important aspects of the improvement task (Peter). Traffic Management: Planning, monitoring and control of trafficare called traffic management. The main objective of traffic management is to increase the effectiveness of the use of the existing infrastructure design. It also ensures reliable and safe transport operations along with fair distribution of infrastructure space. Therefore it is an essential element in increasing the efficiency, safety and security of transport networks. Traffic management for road transport involves scanning and tracking the actual traffic situation during rush hours especially. In order to reduce congestion and to prevent accidents taking place that information is used to control and influence the traffic. Improve efficiency of transport network,safety and environmental issues are all dealt with traffic management. Managing traffic in road or rail can be achieved by managing the traffic through timetabling, matching services time and managing them accurately including offering social services to them. Along with this ways are founded to improve traffic jams caused due to less network capacity or shifting patternsof various drivers or because of any other technical aspects. Standard road traffic signs provide routing, guidance and dynamic rerouting by road authorities. The development of road traffic signals through a control center is the mostly widely spread tool usedin urban areas for the effective management of transit networks. Signal systems at railsguarantees safe spacing between trains running on the same lines and they protect junctions. In addition to delivering information about movement of the train to the authorities,speed limits from track to train can also cause automatic braking if the train ignores certain limits through theAutomatic Train Protection. The placement of traffic management within feasible mobility has become quite a necessity because ofthe increasing number of traffic mishaps taking pace these days. Different control techniques and products are also available these days. Safetyand security for mass transit is also part of traffic management and is another aspect of quality of service provided by the traffic management (Urban Transport Safety and Security). Speed limits must be applied at main roads and highways by the authorities. This can be achieved by various means like using radar guns which directly measure the distance, stationary and moving camera can also be placed at street poles or following vehicles in certain situations when required. Role of Institutions: People’s standard of living is only improved through an effective government which can ensure the access to basic necessities like health, water, transport, education, electricity and a peaceful and hygienic environment. Different countries face different development and other unique challenges; the main thing is to get them right. A few of the things which a government has to get right are economic management, regulation, taxation, financial labor markets, building and maintenance infrastructures and public safety and security. Together these elements provide an environment and opportunity for firms to invest and work efficiently. Government plays an important role in attracting investments, improving productivity, technology, competitiveness, and providing economic and political stability and proper rights. Only a strong institution can be recognized as a fundamental to the social and economic development. Policy for public transport should be developed which should have the following principles: cost recovery- all the potential passengers including the transit providers should contribute to the cost of resources, facilities and services provided to them at public expense. Authorities should guide the transport systems to ensure productive, affordable and responsible service to the passengers. Competition should exist between different modes of transits so that each tries it level best to enhance their services. Effective and efficient transport system serves to the economic well-being and growth of a nation (Kerri). Transport service should be providingfeasible and lasting servicesalong with least environmental disruptions (that is no noise or harmful emissions). The cost of environmental degradation to be recovered by tariffs and user’s fee. People should have reasonable access to the transport system. An efficient and cost saving energy policy should be opted by all modes of transport. Ensure the provision of a safe,secure and efficient public transport service and system. The issues that should be addressed by the government in respect to their role in the safety and security of public transit includemedium and long-term plans for the road network so that accidents are minimized. Promoting a safer administration for the non-motorized transport (pedestrian and bicycle riders). Renewal of the railway and establishing a railway safety department. Ensuring that airport system is safe and secure and upgraded according to the local and internationally accepted standards. Maintaining international standards of security, safety marine environmental protection as well. In developing countries institutions like police departments have quite a bad image, this need to be changed. Special institutions should be developed that particular focuses on transport safety. The institution will be responsible for coordination of all safety efforts at high level. This at the same time will enhance the commitment of interested departments like police, traffic management and health care. Medical Policies: In developing countries around 0.5 million people die and 15 million are injured each year due to urban road accidents and the victims are mostly pedestrians and bicyclists. This hinders the use of non-motorized transport.Improving road design, medical service, traffic management and improving policies physical and emotional harm to the non-motorized public can be reduced to a large extent.The organization integrated public sector should be well-trained, committed and well financed. Road accidents currently rank ninth as a cause of deaths worldwide and the rank is expected to rise by the year 2020. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) report in 1999 around 1.71 million people died due to various road accidents worldwide. In developing countries lack of medical facilities contributes to a high level of casualties. Precious lives can be saved if appropriate medical attention is provided within an hour of the accident. For this the emergency response time should be very efficient and productive at all times of the day. Emergency response time can be improved by positioning the emergency service centers at strategic positions or at places where they can reach any part of the city as quickly as they can. Increasing the number of emergency facility centers and the number of ambulances. Also providing each ambulance with all the basic first aid requirements or maybe more. A control center to be developed that keeps a check and balance (Urban Transport Safety and Security). Also setting up an emergency medical service committee can be a good point. All the staff of emergency service center to be well trained and equipped. Costs of minor expenses of an injured persons brought to the hospital can be covered by insurance companies and this can only happen if such a mechanism is created. Increasing the hospital emergency rooms and departments. Strategy for safety and security of Public transit: Many countries have introduced rigorous road-safety plans and action programs. These programs are led by road-safety professionals with support from legal authorities and they cover a broad aspect. The program has an improved information system so that better quality data is collected, analyzed and used as intelligence. The interest of the community is also improved in this way. This also makes links with the anti-social behavior people (like vagrants, people making graffiti etc.) so that the security system collects the right data and has links to follow up with the local trends. Secondly strategies are also made for cleaning up the system by removing graffiti and vandalism. This is done by developing clean -up programs at railway or bus stations. Installations of facilities like phones, lights, sign boards, shelters are also a part of the clean-up program. This develops a sense of security in the potential passengers (National transport policy). Training the staff to be customer focused is also included. Protective measures on the transit system comprehends the enhancement of transit patrol and police presence which not only targeting specific trouble areas and times but are present at almost all transit nodes. Response time to be improved by regionalizing the transit petrol. Installing closed circuit cameras and recorders at stations. Officer based staff volunteers can also be introduced which keeps on roving in buses or trains providing a visible authoritative. Incorporating more security staff during peak hours of the day. When building a transit network the main areas to be focused are safer, comfort, reliability and cleanliness of the public transit. For the safety and security of public transit many issues must be targeted from physical infrastructure there should be high quality managed stops, stations and terminal depots. Facilitate easy physical integration between mass transit systems by providing special stations and terminals. Improvements in nearby public space. Enhanced stations that are convenient, comfortable and secure. Talking in terms of operations there should be frequent and rapid service between major origins and destinations. Ample space for passenger demand and in corridors. Boarding should be rapid. Verification and fare collection should be done before boarding. Safety and security of public transit in terms of technology will include low emission and noise vehicle technologies, utilizing applications of intelligent transport system like automatic vehicle location, system management through centralized control system.It is also important to market customer service which can be achieved by displaying clear routes, maps, signage and real time information at visible places (National transport policy). Separate place for private car parks and having parking restrictions. Special provisions should be given for the physically disadvantaged group of customers like children, elderly people and physically disabled. Customer service to be excellent. Ease of access between all other mobility options are to be kept in mind when developing a strategy. Another important factor is courteous and safe driving style which reduces half the risk for an accident taking place. Drivers of all public transits should be highly trained with quality of education given to them regarding public safety. They should have short working shifts. The success of the public transport system lies in the transit operators and professionals. They play the most important role in achieving a successful outcome which is the safety and security of public. Conclusion: Safe and secure public transit is necessary to gain confidence of passengers. The uncleanvehicles, stations, and bus stops, exposure to rowdy people or anti-social groups , graffiti on the public system and the role of the media in overstating fear-generating incidents occurring on the transport system and in the community these days. All these factors have led to the discomfort, uneasy and fear feeling within the public. Development of a safe and secure urban transport for public should include development of statistics of the road accidents and analyzing it, incorporating safety elements in all transportinfrastructure projects, estimating and evaluating safety benefits of improved designs in allinfrastructure projects, development and training of staffspecifically for road-safety. Specifications clear signing, and enforcement of maximum speed limits for various road categories in urban areas (Urban Transport Safety and Security). Financing of specific safety-related infrastructure investment. Involvement of police in road safety and there should be collaboration between police and traffic management departments. Improved accessibility of medical facilities for victims of accident. Creating a high-level committee that is responsible for transport safety. Most importantly developing awareness of the problem of insecurity in the urban areas. Commitment of police department to arrest the people committing crimes is also requires along with the courts to appropriately penalize such delinquents. Not only institutions efforts but the efforts of public are required to strengthen the safety and security system of public transportations system which can’t be achieved without the participation of public from all age groups. References: 1- Tri Basuki Joewono ,Hisashi Kubota.Safety and security improvement in public transportation based on public perception in developing countries. November 9 2005. 2- Peter Forsyth. Investing in Transport Infrastructure:Institutional Design ad Efficiency. http://www.gateway-corridor.com/roundconfpapers/documents/Forsyth_Peter_Vancouver.pdf 3- Urban Transport Safety and Security. 4- Kerri Carr. Public Transport Safety: a Communal Right and a Communal Responsibility. http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_01/08carr.pdf 5-Mitchell, Daniel J.B. California Policy Options. January 1 2005. 6-https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/ptsb 7- National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit. November 3 2003. 8- Todd Litman, Terrorism, Transit and Public Safety Evaluating the Risks. December 2 2005. http://www.vtpi.org/transitrisk.pdf 9- Urban Transport Safety and Security. http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_01/08carr.pdf 10-National Transport Policy. http://www.mtw.gov.jm/transport/policies/ntpupdate.pdf 11- Dr. Jean Paul Rodrigue. Urban Transport Problems. 12-Dac Maunder and TC Pearce, DM Babu and NB Nyachhyon. The Safety of Public Transport Services in Nepal and India in an Environment of Deregulation and Privatization. http://www.transport-links.org/transport_links/filearea/publications/1_553_PA3474_99%20.PDF Read More