Bus firm on board to tackle violence against women and girls

A bus operator has joined forces with almost 300 businesses in tackling sexual harassment and abuse against women and girls.

Stagecoach East has signed up to Businesses Against Abuse (BAA), a scheme which brings firms across Cambridgeshire together to provide safe spaces for customers in need.

As a result, bus drivers have received specialist training, backed by Rape Crisis, to identify predatory behaviour and prevent it from escalating into a possible sexual offence.

To showcase its support for the cause, Stagecoach unveiled its new eye-catching Buses and Businesses Against Abuse double-decker at an event at Milton Park and Ride, near Cambridge, last Thursday (17 October).

Chief Inspector Ian Lombardo said: “We are extremely grateful to Stagecoach for signing up and I have to say, I know I’m not alone in being very impressed with the newly branded bus - it has been brilliantly designed.

“We now have a network of bus drivers trained to spot predatory behaviour and able to support women and girls who find themselves feeling unsafe while out and about.

“Making our communities safer is a partnership effort and we could not make the impact we are striving for without the support of local businesses.”

The free BAA scheme and training is funded by the Home Office’s Safer Streets 5 Fund, led by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), was rolled out last year.

PCC Darryl Preston, who attended the launch, said: “With at least one in twelve women becoming a victim of domestic abuse and sexual violence every year, I will continue to do everything within my power to eradicate these abhorrent crimes in all their forms.

“I am wholly committed to supporting the police and partners to take an early intervention approach to help prevent these crimes from happening in the first place. This innovative project is the largest Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevention initiative our county has ever seen, and I applaud Cambridge Rape Crisis and Stagecoach for fully embracing this initiative.”

BAA is open to any business which feels its staff would benefit and, following training, their premises will be officially accredited by the police as part of the scheme.

They will receive a staff training video, window stickers, lanyards and wrist bands to showcase their commitment to tackling predatory behaviour.

For firms who would like to sign up, there are three training days planned in Cambridge:

Thursday, 24 October at Allia future Business Centre, King Hedges Road. Session one: 9.30am to 12.30pm, session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Thursday, 14 November at Grafton Centre conference room. Session one: 9.30am to 12.30pm, session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Wednesday, 11 December at Central Library, Grande Arcade. Session one: 10am to 1pm. Session two: 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

Those interested in attending should email [email protected] with how many places are required and which session they would prefer to attend. Businesses should also provide the names of people attending, job titles and, if relevant, SIA license number.

For further information, visit our dedicated BAA web pages.