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Safe and sound: views and experiences of young people on public transport
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 Safe and sound: views and experiences of young people on public transport
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Children and young people are often reliant on others to get them anywhere they can’t walk or cycle. When transport is lacking, unreliable, unsafe, or unaffordable, it has a disproportionate impact on the quality of children and young people’s lives, including in relation to their education, employment, family connections, and friendships.
Children and young people make up a significant proportion of Adelaide Metro public transport patrons, with almost 1 in 5 (20%) being either primary or secondary school students and a further (15%) being tertiary students.
South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, conducted a survey of young people about their experiences using South Australia’s public transport network across trains, buses, and trams. The survey was completed by a total of 1,124 young people aged 13 to 20 years across South Australia.
The report details the key recommendations:
- Address children and young people’s safety concerns through better street lighting at shelters and near bus stops, and by offering more frequent bus, tram and train services. These need to come with synchronised connections so that they’re not left waiting for long periods or forced to walk extended distances in the dark because timetabled services are not meeting their travel needs.
- Upgrade public transport infrastructure and facilities, including bus, train and tram stops, stations and shelters. These upgrades should include a modernised and environmentally sustainable transport system with air conditioning and USB charging ports.
- Introduce free travel to and from school and sport for children and young people from low-income families by expanding the government School Card Scheme.
- Increase digital accessibility for those travelling on public transport through provision of free Wi-Fi on all public transport and at train stations. This will enable children and young people to make the most of their travel time, while simultaneously improving the accuracy of timetables and tracking services via mobile applications, which they increasingly rely upon.
