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Listening to passengers to focus on safety improvements

Posted: 30 March 2009 | Herbert König, Chairman of the Board, MVG and Günter Pedall, Head of Metro, MVG | No comments yet

A high level of objective and subjective safety builds an essential portion of the attractiveness of public transportation. For this reason, the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) has established a safety concept with two goals: its passengers should a) be safe and should b) feel safe.

Whereas the objective state of safety with respect to police criminal statistics is easy to assess, the feeling of personal safety on behalf of the passengers cannot be deduced from the official numbers. For this reason, MVG commissioned a study on the ‘Subjective Feeling of Safety’ of its U-Bahn customers. This study should determine how the passengers would grade the state of safety in the U-Bahn, what they think of the previous safety measures taken by MVG and what areas could be improved. The study also presents the adjustment of assessed values of an almost identical study conducted in 2001.

A high level of objective and subjective safety builds an essential portion of the attractiveness of public transportation. For this reason, the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) has established a safety concept with two goals: its passengers should a) be safe and should b) feel safe. Whereas the objective state of safety with respect to police criminal statistics is easy to assess, the feeling of personal safety on behalf of the passengers cannot be deduced from the official numbers. For this reason, MVG commissioned a study on the ‘Subjective Feeling of Safety' of its U-Bahn customers. This study should determine how the passengers would grade the state of safety in the U-Bahn, what they think of the previous safety measures taken by MVG and what areas could be improved. The study also presents the adjustment of assessed values of an almost identical study conducted in 2001.

A high level of objective and subjective safety builds an essential portion of the attractiveness of public transportation. For this reason, the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) has established a safety concept with two goals: its passengers should a) be safe and should b) feel safe.

Whereas the objective state of safety with respect to police criminal statistics is easy to assess, the feeling of personal safety on behalf of the passengers cannot be deduced from the official numbers. For this reason, MVG commissioned a study on the ‘Subjective Feeling of Safety’ of its U-Bahn customers. This study should determine how the passengers would grade the state of safety in the U-Bahn, what they think of the previous safety measures taken by MVG and what areas could be improved. The study also presents the adjustment of assessed values of an almost identical study conducted in 2001.

The metro network of the Munich U-Bahn consists of approximately 100km with 94 stations. There are six U-Bahn lines in use. The transportation performance of the U-Bahn consisted of 340 million passengers in 2007. The MVG also operates 10 tram and 67 bus lines in the Bavarian provincial capital, transported 482 million passengers in 2007 and belongs to the largest German local transportation organisations anywhere.

Two-step studies design

The study on subjective safety in the Munich U-Bahn was set up in two steps. It included an initial passenger questionnaire (representative random test with 2,118 participants). As a second step, a qualitative inquiry in the form of in-depth interviews and group discussions were conducted with youths, senior citizens and immigrants. The qualitative elements of the study served to enhance the representative results from the passenger questionnaire with the addition of subjective assessments in order to be more capable of estimating the individual argumentation patterns of the customers and their personal experiences with the U-Bahn system.

Inspection results

Among the most important results of the inspection were:

  • The subjective feeling of safety for U-Bahn passengers in Munich ranks at a generally high level and has improved since the last poll
  • The U-Bahn itself is safer from the viewpoint of the customers than the walkways or pathways leading to the U-Bahn or the environment at U-Bahn stations
  • The principle factors creating any feelings of insecurity or unease are passengers who leave a threatening impression (such as drunkards and soccer/football fans) and general recklessness
  • The measures of safety taken by the MVG are known and are thoroughly welcomed by the passengers

Feeling of safety at a high level

The feeling of safety recognised by Munich U-Bahn passengers also had a relatively comparable high level of satisfaction in the first study in 2001. The current study shows that MVG customers’ general feeling of safety in the U-Bahn has, in the meantime, continued to improve. The great majority of MVG passengers – almost 93% – implied that they principally feel safe in the Munich U-Bahn. The percentage of customers that always feel safe rose from 33.5% to 37.6%. The number of passengers that have a general feeling of safety in the U-Bahn (not however in certain situations or at certain times) sank correspondingly to 55.2% (2001: 58.4%). Only 7.2% indicated that they do not feel safe (2001: 8.1%).

The latest MVG customer satisfaction analysis for the first half of 2008 also shows that the results of the study are solid. After that, the poll period from January to June showed that 95% of the passengers, who marked safety from being harassed at bus stops and U-Bahn stations as (very) important, were (very) satisfied with the state of safety (2007: 97%). The estimation of safety in the vehicles themselves has even slightly improved in comparison to 2007 (97% satisfaction instead of 96%).

U-Bahn safer than its environment

The majority of those questioned consider the state of safety in the U-Bahn to be similarly good to that of the safety in general public spaces. 84% of MVG customers in Munich feel just as safe as or even safer than three years ago. For U-Bahn trains, this value is 82%. For U-Bahn stations, the value comes in at 80%.

The state of safety in the U-Bahn station environment has however received a more critical assessment. 68% of those questioned feel just as safe if not safer than three years ago. Almost a third of the men and half of the women questioned feel that the pathway to the U-Bahn is less safe than the U-Bahn itself. Lively discussions about station environments and a possible revival of the stations themselves also characterised the group discussions. The detailed results of the study also show social-demographic differences. Young women under 30 feel less safe than other passengers (12.3% vis-à-vis 7.2% of the total sample). The feeling of safety displayed by young men has suffered since 2001 (7.9% vis-à-vis 4.4% unsafe; however, this came on the tails of a much greater amount of study participants). As a result of the in-depth interviews and group discussions, findings from many criminology studies were once again confirmed. Youths and teenagers have a relatively greater risk of being ‘offenders’ and ‘victims’ and for this reason, show a relatively higher level of subjective lack of a feeling of safety than adults. Seniors tend to feel the safest.

In addition to the age, the usage frequency also influences the feeling of safety. Those who only make seldom use of the U-Bahn seem to feel less safe than regular U-Bahn passengers.

Everyday criminality uncertain

The study clearly shows that spectacular individual acts of violence make passengers extremely insecure – despite intensive media reports – much less than in cases of everyday criminality and reckless behavior from other passengers who or which they usually know from their own experience. The reasons given for possibly not travelling with the U-Bahn include:

  • General insecurity during evening hours or at times of day when it’s dark (70%)
  • Reckless behavior (52%)
  • The presence of people who leave a threatening impression (45%)

A similar conclusion could be obtained with the answer to the question as to which dangers U-Bahn passengers expect to encounter? Almost half of those questioned feels it is always possible to be offended or harassed, and it is also estimated that every second person questioned think there is a possibility of a theft. Every third person questioned feels it is possible that he/she will be physically assaulted. In comparison to the assessment of Munich’s inner-city area, every third person questioned also believes that a physical assault is a possibility. Almost two out of three people questioned fear theft while around 44% fear being offended or harassed. In the group discussions and in-depth interviews, drunkards and soccer/football fans were often mentioned in connection with these concerns. To summarise, the assessment of safety risks in the U-Bahn does not ultimately differ from those of Munich’s inner-city area and thus, the U-Bahn is not considered a special area of risk. The fear of pick-pocketing is actually higher in the inner-city area than in the U-Bahn – which is possibly also a success for the high rate of resolved cases of theft in the U-Bahn environment.

MVG safety concept success

The safety measures taken by MVG are well-known to most passengers – and are considered correct from the customer viewpoint. The statement:

“The MVG, as the Munich U-Bahn operator, is doing a lot for the safety of its passengers”

is supported by a great majority of the passengers. Almost 84% agree or tend to agree with this statement. Also of positive note is that almost 70% of the customers are very satisfied or satisfied with MVG’s approach. Only 4.6% reported being (more likely) unsatisfied with MVG’s measures.

Safety via light

Those questioned were asked to evaluate which measures were most suitable to strengthen their own feeling of safety. Results showed that the provision of better lighting ranked first. This measure targeted a value of 1.4 on a scale where 1 equals very suitable, up to 5 which equals not suitable. Following just behind that were emergency report points (scoring 1.5), service personnel (scoring 1.6) and the consistency of trains (scoring 1.6).

Also receiving a good score was video surveillance (1.7 in the stations, 1.9 in the trains), personnel being on site at service stations (1.9) and see-through windows between the wagon and driver cockpit (1.9). Also mentioned were the revival of U-Bahn stations via cafés, stores, kiosks (2.1), information on how to operate the safety and monitoring establishments in the U-Bahn (2.1), cleanliness (2.2) and information on behavior in uncertain/dangerous situations (2.3).

Safety across the line

Corresponding investments in safety will also be made by MVG during 2009. As part of the modernisation of the Münchner Freiheit U-Bahn station, a new light and colour concept has been originated by Munich lighting designer Ingo Maurer, who was responsible for the light-related design at the Westfriedhof U-Bahn station. The station is also equipped with new SOS telephone posts that centrally connect all emergency equipment and facilities – from an emergency call to an emergency stop (halting of the train) to the fire extinguisher and right on up to the defibrillator – and which can be placed free-standing on the platforms and in the mezzanine sections.

In addition, MVG will improve the labeling of approximately 500 existing stationary emergency report points. The video surveillance that has consisted of approximately 800 cameras up to now in the U-Bahn stations, will be expanded to U-Bahn trains and commuter trains. All of the approximately 580 U-Bahn wagons and the current 90 trams are equipped with cameras and the series installation will begin in 2009 and will take two to three years to complete. More than half of the current buses in use are equipped with cameras (130 wagons).

For new acquisitions – currently 17 vehicles – video surveillance is already installed as a standard feature. The Munich U-Bahn sentry that currently employs 125 workers will continue to increase its personnel in 2009. An additional educational course has been running since January. U-Bahn sentry and state police are commonly responsible for safety in the U-Bahn.

Required action in U-Bahn station environment

The study results show however, that further courses of action will be required in certain areas. The question as to the proper course of action with threatening persons such as drunkards or soccer/football fans is neither easy to answer nor can it be dealt with solely by MVG – alone the presence of such passengers makes other passengers insecure. There is no easy and patented solution here, yet there are no real focal points up to now either. MVG will continue to observe the situation and will remain in close contact with the respective safety authorities. As a first concrete measure, it is intended that the consumption of alcoholic beverages in U-Bahn stations and vehicles will be prohibited. In addition, MVG is enhancing its public relations via the existing emergency equipment.

On-site dialog with committees and organisations

Much more difficult is the increase in attractiveness of some mezzanine sections, especially those in the U-Bahn station environments. The suggestions made as part of the group discussion and in-depth interviews were sufficient in asking for better lighting of pathways and longer opening hours for kiosks in the mezzanine – which is limited as a result of the store open hours – right up to ideas for cultural offers on a city districts basis that are selected around the U-Bahn stations or in the mezzanines. Much of these are not located in MVG’s direct area of responsibility; for this, a dialog will have to be held between citizens, politicians and organisations on-site as well as with the respective authorities.

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