Perceptions of security in public transport systems of Germany: prospects for future research

Abstract

Research on subjective security in public transport systems has resulted in diverse measures in Germany, but still some gaps can be detected in the basic research related to this topic. That is while German transport authorities have had more effective measures and implementations towards enhanced security compared to other European countries. This study attempts to identify gaps in connection with personal perceptions about insecurity in public transportation including urban rail and bus in three main spaces: public transport vehicles, stations, and the roads leading to station via neigh-borhoods. The results of reviewing the existing literature show that four topics need to be clarified in the German context: (1) the role of the size of urban population; (2) differences between racial, religious, and sexual minorities and the majority of citizens; (3) possible dissimilarities between different regions and sub-cultures; and finally (4) the influence of micro-scale built environment, for instance in case of rail and bus stations and the surroundings. The suggested research topics are expected to deepen the understanding of German national and regional transport organizations, and open the opportunity of protective and preventive measures based on differences found between different socio-demographic contexts.