Improving safety at Victoria bus station: A holistic and multi-disciplinary approach
Transport for London (TfL) has committed to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from London’s transport network by 2041. The organisation also aims for no-one to be killed or seriously injured on or by a bus by 2030. While bus garages and stations do not contribute to TfL’s Vision Zero target, these are a key part of the Safe System. To support TfL’s ambition to reduce bus-involved casualties in bus stations and garages, AtkinsRéalis undertook an in-depth safety review of Victoria bus station and the surrounding area – a bustling and complex transport interchange in the centre of London.
A holistic, multi-disciplinary approach was taken – bringing together established principles from the Safe System approach and safety risk management with innovative methods and technologies, including behavioural science and vision-based artificial intelligence sensors. These techniques enabled a thorough evidence-based understanding of behaviours and potential safety issues at Victoria bus station to be obtained.
The findings informed the development of interventions to improve safety at the bus station – spanning the pillars of the safe system, as well as short-term and long-term measures. A selection of small-scale, low-cost interventions will be trialled at Victoria bus station in Summer 2025 to evaluate their effectiveness at influencing behaviours and improving safety. The findings from this review will contribute to TfL’s wider Bus Safety Programme – supporting road safety improvements across London. In this presentation, AtkinsRéalis and TfL will share insights into the factors that influence behaviours at Victoria bus station and key learnings from the research and trial.
Jo Bacon, Social Research and Behavioural Science Technical Director, AtkinsRéalis
Jo Bacon is AtkinsRéalis’ discipline lead for Social Research and Behavioural Science, with over 20 years’ experience of leading social and behavioural research and evaluation projects. These projects have shaped national, regional and local transport policy, delivery, guidance and communications.
Jo has a proven track record of pioneering novel methods and approaches in transport research, thought leadership and speaking on transport behaviour and research. Jo is leading the multi-disciplinary AtkinsRéalis team that is supporting Transport for London with the in-depth safety review of Victoria bus station, drawing on her experiences across the transport sector.
Simon Castle, Bus Safety Development Manager, Transport for London
Simon Castle has 30 years’ policing experience, mostly in roads policing. He wrote the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) strategy for cycle safety, set up the Met’s Cycle Safety Team and was responsible for its Exchanging Places programme, which won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2013. From 2015, Simon also led the policing response to the emerging issue of autonomous vehicles.
His current team at TfL introduced the Bus Safety Standard, which has also won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award. The standard mandates vehicle features such as intelligent speed assist, camera monitoring systems in place of mirrors as well as improved occupant safety features. His team continues to research and innovate, continuously developing the safety standard to achieve TfL’s Vision Zero. Simon is currently working on a range of projects including bus station safety, driver health and wellbeing and driver fatigue.