Women-only carriages are possible solutions to a rise in sexual assaults on passengers, a British Transport Minister said.
Earlier this week Claire Perry said she was determined to do “whatever we have to” to reverse the increase and boost safety.
“They have introduced women-only seating in Japan because there is a particular problem with groping and low-level violence,” she said. “It is a very interesting question and I will look at all ideas.”
There were 1,117 sexual offences recorded by British Transport Police in the 12 months to March 2014: a 20.8 per cent annual increase.
Perry said she was meeting with officers to discuss the reasons, noting that it could be down to more people reporting incidents in the wake of the Jimmy Savile and other scandals.
“How terrifying to be travelling home in a place where I should reasonably expect to be safe and to be the victim of a sexual crime,” she said at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
“It’s frightening to think you are going home, taking public transport because you don’t want to drive, you’ve had a drink, and you’re not safe. This is a very small number but a thousand is too many.
“I am absolutely determined that on my watch that will change. Whatever we have to do.” (PA)
Staff tipped for ‘unplugged’ hotels
Travellers tired of being tied to the office even when on holiday are likely to seek “unplugged” trips in the future at hotels not offering phone signals or the internet.
These “unconnected” types of break are predicted in a future-of-travel report by Lonely Planet in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Another trend likely to emerge is a return to local knowledge with travellers’ hunger for secret coves and local trattorias emboldening them to rely once more on face-to-face recommendations.
Also in the future, there could be “international festival fever” with travellers taking advantage of faster and cheaper flights to go to events around the globe.
Lonely Planet reckoned that travellers will increasingly use such aids as Google Streetview to see exactly what their intended resort looks like, while airports will evolve to offer passengers such amenities as spas, art galleries and green areas.
Top of the list of predictions is that travel will soon become fully integrated into people’s lives, as opposed to being a special event.
Lonely Planet editorial director Tom Hall said: “Travel has changed dramatically since the first commercial flight 100 years ago, and the next 100 years has endless possibilities.”
Iata director general and chief executive Tony Tyler said: “The predictions clearly show that millions more people are set to enjoy the opportunity to travel and particularly travel by air, as the world becomes a smaller and more accessible place than ever before.” (PA)
Pilots fly more slowly to save fuel
Higher oil prices have had a traumatic effect on US airlines, forcing carriers to re-examine every aspect of the way they do business in a bid to control costs.
Between 2002 and 2012, the price of jet fuel quadrupled from 55 cents per gallon to over €2.38. Fuel bills rose from 15 per cent to more than 40 per cent of the total operating costs of US airlines to become their single largest operating expense.
They have responded by changing almost every element of their operations: from restricting capacity growth, eliminating short routes and hiking baggage fees to instructing crews to fly aircraft more slowly and reducing the amount of water carried on board for lavatories and washing.
The results have been impressive. After peaking in 2005, jet fuel consumption in the US has fallen by almost 15 per cent, the equivalent of more than 200,000 barrels per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
This fuel-saving programme is just one example of how higher oil prices over the past decade have transformed transportation, and led to demand destruction, which is likely to prove permanent even if oil prices later fall. (Reuters)