FAQ - Safety on Ile-de-France buses

With the opening up of transport in the Ile-de-France region to competition, safety remains an absolute priority.

Île-de-France Mobilités is strengthening its measures to guarantee the protection of passengers and drivers, regardless of the operating company.

Here are the answers to the main questions you may have.

1. Who is responsible for safety on the buses?

Transport security is based on a collective organisation. Several actors work together every day to ensure your safety:

• The national police, via units specialized in public transport;
• Private security agents of transport operators ;
• The GPSR, the RATP's internal security service, mobilized on certain schedules (especially at night) for the benefit of new operators;
• The Regional Transport Brigade (BRT), made up of private security agents deployed by Île-de-France Mobilités who are specifically trained;
• And the CCOS (Centre de Coordination Opérationnelle de la Sécurité), which centralises information from the entire network in real time to organise interventions.

This teamwork ensures constant vigilance, day and night.

2. What happens in the event of an incident on board a bus?

In the event of an abnormal or dangerous situation (incivility, aggression, suspicious behaviour), the driver can trigger a discreet alarm.

This alert is immediately taken into account by the transport operator and, if necessary, by the CCOS.

Depending on the situation:

• private security agents can be sent;
• the GPSR can be called upon, including on lines operated by new operators;
• If necessary, the police force intervenes.

The CCOS relies on the geolocation of buses and field teams to trigger the fastest and most appropriate intervention.

3. Who decides on the intervention?

The decision to intervene is taken by the police forces present within the CCOS, in close collaboration with Île-de-France Mobilités and the transport operators. The objective is always to intervene as quickly as possible.

4. Will there always be a human presence on the buses?

Île-de-France Mobilités is significantly strengthening the human presence in charge of security on the surface network of Paris and the inner suburbs as part of the competitive bidding, in addition to the staff hired on the ground by the police forces.

Concretely:

• More than 500 private security agents are assigned to monitor the lines;
• The Regional Transport Brigade (BRT), made up of private security agents under the authority of Île-de-France Mobilités, deploys up to 14 teams per day in Île-de-France;
• The GPSR, historically attached to the RATP, is also mobilized to strengthen security, including on lines operated by other operators.

5. Are these agents trained to intervene in transport?

All security guards assigned to the bus network undergo specific training for transport environments. This training includes:

• the legal framework and rules for intervention in public transport;
• the management of conflicts, incivilities and tense situations;
• the prevention of sexist and sexual violence;
• urban intervention techniques.

These officers can intervene to provide assistance, report a suspicious situation, or hold a person in the act while waiting for the police. Their interventions are strictly regulated by law, within a proportionate and controlled framework.

6. What if I see a problem on a bus?

You can:

• talk to the driver if the situation allows it;
• contact the police if you witness an assault;

Your vigilance is precious, but your safety comes first: never intervene directly if the situation seems dangerous to you.