Exploring Passenger Personal Safety Perceptions at Stations and Associations with Crime, Anti-Social Behaviour and Design Quality

The perception of personal safety among public transport users is one of the most important factors that influences ridership and overall quality of service. This research investigates passengers’ perceptions of personal safety at railway stations in Melbourne. There are a range of factors that are thought to influence perceptions of safety on public transport, including: crime, feelings of safety in the neighbourhood, personal experience of crime and anti-social behaviours (ASB), individual demographics and design quality of the stations. This research explored the relative influences of all of these factors on the perception of safety of rail passengers.