THE safety and security of several Metrolink stops have been recognised by a special industry standard award.

A total of 10 stops have been awarded the Safer Tram Stop Award, following a security assessment, including criteria such as surveillance, signage, lighting and passenger surveys.

The aim of the awards, which are given by national policing project Secured by Design, is to prevent crime and the fear of crime and provide guidance to operators on how to create and maintain safe environments.

Following on from the awards, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the operator KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), have identified a further 12 stops, Oldham King Street, Westwood and Freehold, to be nominated for accreditation. These will now be prepared for submission before July 2019.

The stops are subject to a rigorous assessment by trained Crime Prevention Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the accreditation is initially awarded for one year before reassessment is required. This is to ensure that safety standards are maintained.

TfGM Head of Metrolink, Danny Vaughan, said: “It is really important that every member of our community feels safe to travel on public transport without feeling intimidated or unduly concerned by the behaviour of others.

“That’s why I’m delighted that we have been able to work with KAM and GMP to get the ball rolling on this initiative and ensure that all our stops meet the highest standards possible when it comes to physical security.

“This reinforces the work undertaken by our TravelSafe Partnership officers, who patrol our networks every day to provide help and assistance as well as working to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.”

Aline Frantzen, Managing Director at KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), said: “Safety is our number one priority at KAM so I’m pleased the hard work that everyone at Metrolink does to make the network secure and pleasant for customers has been recognised.

“Our data shows us that the numbers of incidents on the network are falling and that’s the result of efforts such as these, the additional time staff are out on the trams and smarter ways of deploying them.

“Our work does not stop here – people will have seen we’ve relaunched our Monsters campaign with a focus on behaviours that are byelaw offences and we will be doing more to tackle the issues, like these, that we’re able to in the New Year. We are also working ever closer with partners such as GMP and local authorities to ensure that they’re best able to tackle the issues they can and ensure Metrolink is the safest and most pleasant system it can be for Greater Manchester’s communities.”

TfGM, GMP and KAM – along with bus operators First and Stagecoach – work together as part of the TravelSafe Partnership to deter and reduce incidents of crime and ASB on the transport network. The Partnership also delivers a proactive youth engagement programme to educate and inform young people about the effects and consequences such incidents can have on them and others.

The 10 stops given the award are: Exchange Quay, Salford Quays, Anchorage, Harbour City, MediaCityUK, Old Trafford, Deansgate-Castlefield, Etihad Campus, Baguley Central Park, Audenshaw, Ashton Moss, Peel Hall, Shadowmoss, Burton Road, Withington , and Manchester Airport.