Milton Keynes bus operator to give extra training to prevent violence against women and girls

A major Milton Keynes bus operator is set to introduce additional training to help Bus Drivers prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The CPC Training Team at Stagecoach East will be taught how to deliver the crucial course to drivers. Each year, all drivers, with more than two years’ experience, must have extra training as part of their Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

This means, that, initially over the next 12 months and then continuously, all these Bus Drivers will receive a full day’s training on recognising and how to react to the reality of VAWG. This training will be delivered by Stagecoach East’s CPC Trainers. Drivers with less than two years’ experience will also be given local training. This is in addition to the operator’s existing safeguarding procedures, such as several CCTV cameras being on each bus.

The training features a combination of awareness-raising to the threats posed to women and girls, and techniques to combat these threats without putting the driver at risk. The new course is considered to be both thought-provoking and detailed.

Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, said: “Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls is something that we all need to take responsibility for and we are working very hard to play our part in this.

“We have no silver bullet, and we cannot solve every problem, but we have the desire and the determination to play our part, and over time our drivers will become ever more confident with what we are asking of them. We hope, because our buses are very visible this training, along with the CCTV cameras on every bus, this will deter would-be abusers.”

The move is in addition to Stagecoach East’s partnership with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Police Authority, and the Cambridge and Peterborough Rape Crisis Centre to form the Buses and Businesses Against Abuse (BAA) scheme.

Under the scheme, if a driver recognises that a women or girl may be in fear of abuse on the street, they are authorised to pull over and ask if they need help and then take her to a safe place on route if necessary.