Coach and bus operators are being urged to assist in the counterterrorism drive and be aware of new legislation and guidance which may impact them.
After the passing of Martyn’s Law in April, public venues will have to make changes in the build-up to its enforcement — possible as early as 2027 — to mitigate the risk of terrorism.
In addition, an updated version of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Bus and Coach Security Recommended Best Practice is set to be published imminently.
UKCOA partnership
The UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA) last month announced it had partnered with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) to promote greater awareness of terrorism in the coach sector.
It acknowledges that, while coach operators may not directly fall within the new legislation, their transport of large numbers of the public to and from such venues “places them at the heart of this important national conversation”.
“Coach operators and their drivers are often the first and last point of contact for event-goers,” says Stephen Spendley, Director of Operations at UKCOA.
“Whether at stadiums, music festivals, attractions, or rail replacement sites, they are uniquely placed to observe and report suspicious behaviour. We’re proud to support NaCTSO’s work and help ensure that the coach sector remains an active part of the UK’s wider security landscape.”
The UKCOA initiative urges operators to adopt small but effective security measures. Operators are encouraged to support NaCTSO’s “See, Check and Notify” campaign and avail themselves of tools on the Protect UK website which will enable staff to better identify and deal with potential threats.
DfT advice
The latest DfT advice, published in 2017, says that security training for drivers and others should include security-checking a vehicle, passenger luggage reconciliation, searching or patrolling a station, searching or screening of baggage being placed in a left luggage or lost property facility, and what to do in the event of an incident.
Checking of the vehicle includes noting items concealed or left behind at the start and end of a route. Managers could issue crib cards to drivers on security consciousness, it suggests. Basic advice on leaving vehicles unattended is also included.
We’ve got thousands of eyes and ears out there doing runs on a daily basis that would be able to notice that something wasn’t quite right – Gavin Miller
Specific to scheduled coaches, advice includes that, if the driver is responsible for loading the luggage, passengers should not be permitted to board until loading has been completed.
It adds that, if a coach makes a stop en route, the driver should satisfy themselves that the correct passengers are re-boarding.
CPT work
Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) National Operations Manager Gavin Miller, who sits on the NaCTSO Counter Terrorism Business Information Exchange Board, says that, as venues prepare for Martyn’s Law to be implemented, operators will be affected.
“Anyone in the coach and bus sector who thinks they’re not going to be impacted by it because they don’t have premises as such might be a bit blinkered,” he says.
“If you imagine going somewhere like The O2 or a football ground, their protocols that they put in place as part of their protection of the public to adhere to Martyn’s Law might mean that the way that vehicles get in and get out are changed.
“We’ll probably need to work more closely with people who run events and public spaces and that will include training of drivers in some circumstances or at least giving them some foresight into why certain things might be happening.
“There will need to be a designated security person at these premises and, if that person says that something has to work a certain way in their risk assessment, then the operators that are visiting the premises are going to need to know about it. That could extend to things like how luggage is handled.”
Mr Miller says he is lobbying for there to be more specific material specific to the transport industry available online.
Aside from being aware of the advice, though, the industry has a role to play in helping to identify potential threats, he adds.
“It’s about the fact that we’ve got thousands of eyes and ears out there doing runs on a daily basis that would be able to notice that something wasn’t quite right,” he says.
Incidents such as the bombing of a coach on the M62 in 1974 which killed 12 people have alerted the industry to its vulnerability with regard to terrorism.
More recently, a bomb detonated on a double-decker bus in London on 7 July 2005 killed 13 people. Meanwhile, in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2015, gunmen boarding a bus killed 45 people.
However, the threat has evolved over the years, Mr Miller highlights. The industry needs “the mindset that it could happen anywhere at any time”, he says.
Stressing the need for coach and bus to do its bit with regards to combating terrorism, Mr Miller adds: “I think the bigger picture is that, it doesn’t matter whether an attack is direct or not, it tends to always impact us — whether it closes a bus route or people need taking away or a premises has to be closed.
“There is always an impact and that should give rise to the need to do something to prepare and be resilient.”
National Express statement
Operators already have extensive procedures in place to deal with the threat of terrorism.
A spokesperson for National Express adds: “Public safety remains a top priority across everything we do. We are proud to support Martyn’s Law and are working closely with the Department for Transport on updated coach security guidance.
“Our teams are trained in counterterrorism, and we are committed to applying strong safety measures across our coach stations, our wider operations and at public events where we operate.”
