London bus shelters to get CCTV cameras to stop crime and protect women on TfL network

Some 20 London bus shelters are getting CCTV cameras to combat violence against women and girls on the Transport for London (TfL) network. The technology was tested at five bus shelters in March, and now 15 more locations will get CCTV in Brent, Croydon, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, and Westminster.

TfL say the locations were chosen to help understand its effectiveness across a wide area, including locations with high footfall, quieter places with less frequent buses, higher crime areas, or places where women and girls have reported feeling unsafe. The Met Police will have live access, and the footage will be retained for 31 days to aid their investigations.

TfL also says tackling VAWG is a priority, and that safety has already been improved through the introduction of mobile coverage across the Tube and Elizabeth line. TfL and MOPAC have also carried out women’s safety audits in the boroughs of Hillingdon, Lambeth, Westminster, Waltham Forest and Brent to better understand the perceptions and experiences of women.

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Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance said: “I welcome this trial of CCTV at bus shelters, which will improve safety for women and girls and ensure they can travel with confidence."

Met Commander Ben Russell said: “This pilot will help protect women and girls, meaning they can enjoy safer spaces across the capital. It also aims to help us bring more dangerous predators to justice, with CCTV being used as a key tool as part of our investigations.”

TfL says the risk of experiencing crime on the network 'remains low'. TfL recorded 2,974 hate crime incidents in 2023-24, compared with 2,217 in the previous 12 months. There were around 200 incidents of work-related violence and aggression against staff reported on average every week in 2023/24.

The results of the trial will be used to evaluate the costs and the feasibility of a wider rollout of CCTV cameras to other locations in London.

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