One of the most well-known public announcements worldwide urges passengers on the London Underground to watch out for the gap between the rail car and the platform. The same warning though must be heeded by security chiefs responsible for the various types of public transport. With 10 % of the inland traveling public in Europe ­using buses and coaches and another 7.5 % using railways, trams and metro systems - the others go by car - the transport authority has an obvious duty to ensure their security end-to-end, with no gaps. We take a look here at some of the methods available.

No matter on or through which medium people travel - be it air, sea or land - there are some common factors in the structure of their journey. Firstly, they always come together at a boarding point. Secondly, most if not all of them are sitting down in a vehicle during the trip. Finally, they embark together at a terminal of some sort. During this time, concentrated together, it is not uncommon for disputes to break out with more or less severe consequences. Add some premeditated petty crime, violence, vandalism or, in the worst case, terrorism into the mix and it becomes essential for a transport authority to be able to spot trouble quickly and to intervene with suitable resources.

There is no simple patent solution to passenger security; as with any static security system, it is the sum of the individual elements that provide the total security level and, as a whole, reduce the opportunities for misdemeanor to a minimum. The time spent on transport authority property can be broken down into three phases; the arrival and boarding, the journey itself and the disembarkation. The first and third phases take place in terminals or at stops along the way and are similar, as would be a change of transport medium or connection in a two or three-leg journey. So really there are only two scenarios to consider when providing security throughout the whole trip.

Terminal Education
A mixture of both passive decorative and active technological security aspects will complement each other in preventing trouble. Many years of working on mass transit systems has shown L.A.-based urban planner and local transit advocate Christopher MacKechnie that lighting must come high on the list of passive measures and says "While most new rail stations have excellent lighting, older stations and especially bus stops are often dimly lit, uninviting places at night.

If connecting to the electrical grid is not possible, then transit agencies can utilize many varieties of solar power lighting to light both transit shelters or just the area around the bus stop itself".

Dark, murky corners are an ideal place to wait for an opportunity or to disappear after committing a crime. Brightly lit concourses or bus stops in contrast not only provide no place to hide but they also have the beneficial side-effect of improving the general public opinion of a transit system. Open spaces that are visible from all directions deter attackers, so removing unnecessary hoarding along the access routes will passively increase the feeling of well-being amongst travelers, particularly for women traveling late at night.

Unfortunately, some people behave in a way that invites crime and education programs can help to minimize the number of such ‘accidents waiting to happen‘. For example, posters in vehicles can recommend simple measures to improve personal safety, such as
using safe and well-frequented routes to get to boarding points if necessary, walking a bit further on lit streets rather than taking a dark short-cut
traveling together with others, not isolated not using personal electronics while traveling - these items are especially attractive for thieves.

Uniform Appearance
Regular reviews of security measures together with the local Police should already be in the calendar. Whether the police themselves implement patrols or if these are provided by a private security company is a local decision supported by levels of budget and resource availability. Whichever force is chosen, their visibility on patrol gives a positive reassuring effect to almost all travelers, as long as they‘re not kitted out like commandos. The small number of others may consider their human rights infringed by a police presence and this highlights the important aspect of the perceived purpose of security forces.

As Rachel Worsley found out while compiling her "Rail Passenger Security Screening" report for the British Department of Transport, despite the attacks of recent years, most travelers still consider the prime purpose of body searches to be for the general removal of individual weapons from circulation and not as counter-terrorist measures. Thankfully, our four-legged friends can help us to reduce any negative emotions of being frisked. They are generally very well accepted and, as we know, highly efficient at sniffing out narcotics and explosives. Dog patrols are not a complete solution in themselves but provide a visible deterrent factor, ably complement other technological measures and provide some unique capabilities in the total security mix.