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Written question asked by Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Lilian Greenwood (Labour) on Monday, 22 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Cycling: Harassment

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment she has made of the levels of cases of abuse and harassment where the victims are cyclists with cases where the victims are (a) drivers and (b) public transport users.

Answer

The ‘Personal Safety on Public Transport’ survey research was published in February 2026.

The findings are based on a survey of 4,900 adults across Great Britain and show the proportion of public transport users who experienced behaviours that undermine personal safety on the transport network. In the 12 months before the survey, 28% of public transport users experienced sexual harassment or unwanted behaviour overall, rising to 54% of females aged 18 to 34. Also 14% of public transport users had experienced force, violence (or threats of), physical intimidation, verbal abuse, and theft (or attempted) and again these experiences were more common for females aged 18-34.

While the Department does not hold data on harassment levels for cyclists and drivers, the research did examine how safe people feel getting to, waiting for and travelling on the transport network. It found that 44% of people felt safe walking and 43% felt safe cycling to public transport stops after dark. This compares with 62% of people who feel safe travelling on a train or 60% by bus after dark.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
10483
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Cycling Driving Harassment Public transport
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk