The fight against harassment in transport

A joint awareness campaign

Under the impetus of Valérie Pécresse, the Île-de-France Region, Île-de-France Mobilités, RATP and SNCF Transilien have decided to launch a vast communication campaign together from 5 March 2018 visible on the entire public transport network in the Ile-de-France region in order to raise awareness among passengers about the fight against harassment.

Faced with shock or fear of reprisals, victims and witnesses present usually have no reaction.

The aim of this campaign is to raise awareness among passengers on the subject, to make them responsible and to involve them by showing that everyone has a role to play in the fight against harassment, in particular by reminding them of the right reflexes. The challenge of this campaign is also to provide concrete answers by making known the tools for reporting harassment such as alert numbers (3117 and SMS 31177), call terminals or even to encourage agents present in public transport to be warned.

Harassment in transport, a reality

• 43% of serious acts of violence against women take place on public transport in the Île-de-France region, compared with 40% in the street and 17% in other areas (INED's 2015 Virage survey – 2018).
• 87% of women who use public transport say they have already been victims of sexist harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault or rape on public transport, according to a 2016 survey by Fnaut.
• 6 out of 10 women fear an assault or theft on Ile-de-France transport, compared to 3 out of 10 men.
• In 2014-2015, 458 victims filed complaints of sexual violence in transport.
• Of the women interviewed by Fnaut for the study already mentioned, 46% were in a situation where they did not react or were unable to react.

Sexual harassment is a crime

While some may try to come to terms with the reality of sexual harassment in order to deny its violence, it is very clearly defined by the law.

It is important to report an assault quickly and to bring the facts committed to the attention of the police. Sexual harassment is punishable under the Penal Code and those guilty are liable to imprisonment.

Concrete means to fight against harassment and incivility

Human presence

The human presence has been greatly reinforced since 2016 with the recruitment of 785 reception, security and mediation agents in stations and on public transport networks throughout the Region, thus helping to reassure passengers and ensure their safety.

• On the RATP network, more than 5,300 agents are present in the network's stations and stations, who can be mobilized directly to alert the Network Protection and Security Group (GPSR), made up of 1,000 agents, including a hundred teams deployed on the network every day. The RATP security department also deploys plainclothes security teams whose missions include the fight against violence against women.
• On the SNCF network, in Île-de-France, 5,000 agents are present at stations and on trains.  740 security agents (SUGE) also criss-cross the Île-de-France, and 172 mediators work on the lines to fight against incivility.

Additional human resources for the RATP and the SNCF

As part of its contracts signed in 2016 with RATP and SNCF, the number of staff in the field will be increased by 490 people: 290 agents for the SNCF (SUGE, mediators and sales agents) and 200 agents for the RATP (GPSR and mobile bus escort teams after midnight).

In addition, the dog detection brigades are deployed. There are 50 of them in 2022. These teams are participating in the overall increase in the security services and freeing up some of them from checking baggage forgotten in the trains to devote themselves to their other missions. These teams make it possible to reduce response times following alerts to abandoned packages, so the "removal of doubt" can be done in about fifteen minutes instead of an hour. On the SNCF network, there has been a 122% increase in forgotten bags, i.e. more than 150 interventions per year since 2014.

Staff trained to care for victims of harassment

Since 2016, all RATP agents in contact with passengers have received training dedicated to the care of victims of harassment as part of their initial training. This specific module was developed in partnership with Miprof (Interministerial Mission for the Protection of Women against Violence and the Fight against Human Trafficking). During this training, RATP agents are trained in the reception and care of victims of violence and sexual harassment, in knowledge of the legal framework and the means of combating and alerting available in public transport.

In 2017, SNCF Transilien began training its SUGE employees with a specific module on sexual harassment in its premises. A training course developed with the Miprof in order to be as close as possible to the victims' experiences. The 740 security guards learned from professionals how to spot deviant behaviour during their rounds, they learned to take charge, listen, recognise the status of victim and refer them to the police. In 2018, station agents will benefit from the same training.

A reinforced human presence on the bus networks of Grande-Couronne

Île-de-France Mobilités also finances around 520 mediation agents for 70 networks, including 520 additional since 2016. These mediators provide a reassuring presence, their work is appreciated by both operators and passengers. However, they are not trained or equipped to carry out deterrent patrols (islanding) or to accompany controllers, as these situations can be a source of conflict. Unlike the RATP and the SNCF, the bus companies in Grande-Couronne did not have staff dedicated to these tasks.

Île-de-France Mobilités has therefore decided to grant more resources to operators to strengthen safety in the buses of Grande-Couronne, with 200 agents specifically dedicated to security (currently being recruited), for an estimated budget of 10 million euros over four years. The first of them took up their duties at the start of the 2017 school year. They will be able to carry out deterrent rounds and intervene in the event of incivility.

Around €130 million is paid each year by Île-de-France Mobilités to operators to ensure a human presence: SUGE, GPSR, SNCF mediators, Optile and RATP night buses.

These staff contribute to the safety of our users (1 January 2022)

• GPSR agents (RATP) 945 (agents in the field) 1350 (Field + Headquarters)
• 835 SUGE agents (SNCF)
• 50 Dog Detection Teams
• + 200 security officers in the outer suburbs
• 18 agents in the Noctilien hubs and 100 agents in mobile bus support teams after midnight (RATP)
• 176 SNCF mediators
• + 500 Optile mediators
• Private security at RATP (+100) and SNCF (1000)
• 1000 patrols/year of gendarmerie reservists on the Grande Couronne network
• 1000 patrols/year reservists of the gendarmerie on the TN network
• 1,120 officers of the Regional Sub-Directorate of the Transport Police (SDRPT)Finally, Valérie Pécresse proposed to the Ministry of the Interior free public transport for police officers in order to strengthen their presence on public transport.

Call terminals, station and station staff, "3117" alert number or "31177" SMS, "3117 alert" application, multiple ways not to remain impassive!

In order to actively fight against sexual harassment in transport, the Île-de-France Region, Île-de-France Mobilités, SNCF and RATP are committed to raising awareness among all passengers and reminding victims and witnesses that concrete solutions exist to raise the alarm.

Active services during network opening hours

• by reporting to an agent in the station 5,300 RATP agents and 5,000 SNCF agents) and to the security agents (1,000 RATP agents and 740 SNCF agents).
• by calling a call terminal in stations, stations and some trains. They allow you to get in touch directly with the agents of the line
• call terminals in the 368 stations of the RATP network;
• 1,380 call terminals at all Transilien stations with an operator who answers 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.

The 3117 number and the Île-de-France Mobilités app: 24/7 active services

The 3117 number: To report any act of delinquency or situation that presents a risk to the traveller, the alert number 3117 is now available on the entire Ile-de-France network (and no longer only on the SNCF network). It is also accessible from the smartphone application "Alerte 3117" or by SMS 31177.

In addition to the call and SMS, passengers who witness a situation that poses a risk to their safety or an inconvenience have at their disposal an application to contact 3117 as well as an emergency button from the Île-de-France Mobilités application. The smartphone's geolocation ensures fast and efficient support, and the app works in all circumstances thanks to network technology that does not require 3G, 4G or 5G coverage.

The generalization of video protection

In addition to the human presence on the Île-de-France transport networks, Île-de-France Mobilités, RATP and SNCF deploy significant technical resources, first and foremost video protection, an essential tool in the security and decision-making support chain:

• More than 50,000 cameras in total in the rolling stock on the platforms and in the corridors on the RATP network.
• 17,000 cameras in trains and 9,000 cameras in stations of the Transilien network.
• In total, as of January 1, 2022, no less than 80,000 cameras are helping to secure the network.

As part of the Transport Revolution, Île-de-France Mobilités is financing the purchase or renovation of more than 700 trains by the end of 2022 for a total amount of €8.5 billion. All these trains will be equipped with video protection cameras.

Today, nearly 100% of trains, buses, RER, stations and stations are equipped with video protection cameras.

This security was made possible by an investment of €65 million financed by Île-de-France Mobilités to the tune of €33 million and by the Île-de-France Region to the tune of €44 million.

Safer and safer trains and metros

Île-de-France Mobilité has embarked on an ambitious policy to accelerate train renewals and renovations in the Île-de-France region to improve the regularity of the lines and the comfort of passengers.

For example, the Régio2N, the train that is currently deployed on line R (Paris-Montereau – Montargis), has 25 surveillance cameras, which allows full coverage of the platforms and indoor passenger spaces.

This train, like the Francilien or the future metro lines 14 and line 11, are so-called "Boa" trains allowing easy access from one car to another. This completely open configuration allows everyone to see what is happening around them but also to make sure they are seen, which generates a strong sense of security. This overview of the interior of the train also simplifies the work of the control teams, the railway police, or the mediation during interventions on board.