Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Stagecoach Group: Rail Division
1. Stagecoach Group was very glad to contribute
to the Select Committee's hearing on 19 April 2006. A number of
issues were raised during that meeting about which the Committee
sought further information.
SECURE STATIONS
ACCREDITATION
2. As mentioned in our original submission,
the South West Trains franchise covers 178 stations. Of those
50 now have Secure Stations accreditation.
STAFFING OF
STATIONS DURING
SERVICE HOURS
3. The Committee asked for more detail about
the hours during which our stations are continuously staffed.
The information is contained in the following table:
| Staffing hours |
Numbers of stations | Notes
|
| 24 hours a day | 19 | Including (eg): Waterloo, Woking, Winchester etc
|
| Early and late shift | 68 |
Typically 6.00 am until at least 10.00 pm |
| Early shift only | 65 | Typically 6.30 am to 1.30 pm
|
| Unstaffed (Monday to Sunday) | 26
| Includes both suburban and rural stations |
| Total: 178 stations |
|
| | |
4. It is worth noting that staff will be present on occasion
at these stations at other times, for example if they are targeted
for attention by TravelSafe Officers or revenue protection staff.
5. The Committee has also asked how much it would cost
to ensure that all our stations are staffed during service hours.
We have two observations to make about this point:
— It is not a straightforward calculation—as
well as additional staff costs there would be a need to provide
proper accommodation and facilities for staff, and to ensure that
the right number of staff (usually more than one) is on hand;
— Stagecoach Group is currently involved in the
competition for the South Western trains franchise, and to supply
our estimate of costs in public to the Committee would advantage
others applying for the franchise.
6. We will write to the Chairman of the Committee to
provide further information on this point.
PROSECUTIONS FOR
CRIMES AT
SOUTH WEST
TRAINS STATIONS
7. The Committee has asked for more details of the numbers
of prosecutions for crimes committed at South West Trains stations
during the past five years. This is not an easy figure to identify,
since many crimes are reported directly to the police, and do
not involve our staff.
8. We are also not able to provide comprehensive information
about whether CCTV evidence was used as part of each prosecution,
since this information is not held centrally. It is certainly
the case that CCTV evidence is very valuable in securing successful
prosecutions of those committing crime on railway stations and
on trains, and we are working with BTP to develop a system which
will provide detailed statistics about the way in which CCTV is
used.
9. However, it may help the Committee to say that in
2005-06 South West Trains received and responded to 1,600 requests
for footage from CCTV systems at stations. 971 of these requests
came from the British Transport Police, and a further 242 from
other agencies such as Surrey Police. The other requests were
made by organisations including South West Trains itself.
10. We received and met 566 requests for footage from
trains. 323 requests were made by BTP, and 27 others from agencies
including HM Customs and Excise (now HM Revenue and Customs) and
Hampshire Police.
PROSECUTIONS FOR
ASSAULTS ON
STAFF
11. At Stagecoach Group and South West Trains we regard
the safety of our staff as paramount. As our original evidence
said, we have instituted a wide range of measures to protect and
support staff, including employing a dedicated member of staff
to follow up all incidents of assaults on our employees.
12. Part of our strategy has been to encourage staff
to report assaults, and in part as a result of this the number
of reported assaults has risen in recent years. The number of
reported physical assaults on staff during each of the past five
years is as follows:
| 2001 | 2002 |
2003 | 2004 | 2005
|
| 219 | 238 | 258
| 314 | 290 |
| | |
| |
Our safety plan sets a target of no more than four physical
assaults per 1,000 staff during each period of a year. In 2005
we achieved a figure of 4.15 assaults per 1,000 staff, and we
continue to work hard to ensure that we meet our target.
13. In the past year, there have been 44 successful prosecutions
following assaults on staff. In addition there have been a number
of ASBOs given to those involved in crime and anti-social behaviour
on trains and at stations. We will continue to work with the police
and prosecution authorities to do all we can to ensure that those
who assault our staff are prosecuted.
POWERS OF
TRAVELSAFE
OFFICERS
14. Our TravelSafe Officers provide a uniformed presence
on trains and at stations to respond to crime and anti-social
behaviour. They are trained and deployed by the British Transport
Police, but their remit is to deter crime, rather than to arrest
criminals: they have no greater powers of arrest than an average
citizen.
15. However, TravelSafe Officers have been trained by
the British Transport Police to evict and restrain people, using
physical force if required. They are trained and empowered to
enforce railway byelaws and to undertake activities such as station
searches as required.
16. Thus the powers of TravelSafe Officers overlap with
those of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), but are not
as extensive. PCSOs also do not have the power of arrest, but
they are able to issue fixed penalty notices and so on. TravelSafe
Officers are intended to deter crime and gather information, and
have proved very effective in doing so.
17. There are now 56 TravelSafe Officers, located at
Clapham Junction, Richmond, Guildford, Portsmouth, Bournemouth/Weymouth
and Basingstoke. There are PCSOs on the South West Trains network,
mainly located around Waterloo.
CONTACT BETWEEN
CCTV MONITORING STAFF
AND BTP
18. The Committee has asked whether the staff monitoring
CCTV are in "radio contact" with the British Transport
Police. The contact between monitoring staff and BTP is not through
radio, but by telephone through the BTP's Management Information
and Communication Centre.
MINIMUM STANDARDS
19. A major aspect of the Committee's inquiry is to investigate
whether minimum standards for passenger safety at stations should
be required of train operating companies. Given the tenor of the
questions asked during the evidence session it may be worth clarifying
the view taken by Stagecoach Group.
20. Stagecoach Group is not "opposed" to minimum
standards of passenger safety and security. Indeed such standards
are of course already set in existing and planned franchise agreements.
We are very happy that further, higher minimum standards are set
in future franchise requirements. However, companies must continue
to strive to exceed minimum standards.
21. It has always been our belief that it is in the business
interests of train operating companies to ensure that passengers
and staff are—and feel—as safe as possible from the
threat of crime. We believe that South West Trains has taken a
leading role in addressing concerns about crime on the railways,
and has demonstrated what can be achieved by companies, often
working in partnership with others, to exceed defined minimum
requirements.
CONCLUSION
22. We hope that this additional information is of interest
and use to the Committee. Should it require further evidence we
are of course ready to assist.
9 May 2006
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