North Tyneside councillors have unanimously backed moves to encourage late-night venues to ensure staff get home safely.
Labour, Conservative, and Independent councillors have all supported plans to introduce conditions for licensed venues to provide safe and free transport for late shift workers. The elected Mayor Dame Norma Redfearn will also write to Nexus and private bus operators calling for more late-night services and to the Government to extend the £2 bus fare offer beyond June.
Chirton councillor Rebecca O'Keefe said: "I will be supporting this motion as I believe we have a responsibility to ensure all North Tyneside residents who work late into the evening get home safely.
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"Only two per cent of victims want to report sexual harassment on public transport. It is now time to change.
"Public transport needs to be more accessible late into the evening and where this is not possible, safer routes home need to be provided by the employers as they also have a duty of care to their employees."
The move forms part of union Unite's 'Get Me Home Safely' campaign. According to the union, since 2009 over 3,000 bus routes, formally supported by councils across the country, have either been cut or reduced.
Office for National Statistics figures from 2021 state as many as one in two women and one in seven men feel unsafe walking home alone at night.
A Tory councillor for Tynemouth, Lewis Bartoli, said: "The Conservative group will be supporting this motion. I have been in hospitality work and remember the challenges of getting home safely.
"I have also been a licence holder and think most responsible licence holders do take the steps necessary to make workers get home safely. I remember spending many an hour after closing waiting for staff to be picked up.
"I have also spoken to a few of the bars and restaurants in Tynemouth and I think they are all supportive of this as well."
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