CCTV link up ensures greater safety at Exeter Bus Station

Safety at Exeter’s Bus Station has been improved thanks to the linking up of its CCTV system to the city-wide network.

This has been achieved thanks to Stagecoach South West strengthening its partnerships with Devon County Council and Exeter City Council in relation to the joint efforts to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour in and around the bus station.

The integration will improve safety and the overall customer experience by providing greater visibility and linking its CCTV system to the city-wide network.

This means that all bus station footage is now monitored 24/7 by the Exeter City Council CCTV control team, ensuring a rapid response to any incidents. If an issue is detected, the appropriate emergency services, whether police or other responders, can be dispatched immediately, reinforcing safety for passengers, staff, and the wider community.

Katie Wagstaff, Operations Director at Stagecoach South West said: “The project has been operational since the new year and is already making a positive impact. We are committed to making Exeter’s bus station and the surrounding city centre a welcoming place for our customers. By linking our CCTV system to the city-wide network, we are strengthening security and the overall experience for everyone using our services.”

The improved partnership is funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding, facilitated through Devon County Council and operated through Exeter City Council who ensure professional oversight and response coordination.

Exeter City Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Laura Wright, said: “It’s great to strengthen our partnership with Stagecoach and the bus station and provide even better CCTV coverage and monitoring across the city.

Being able to link the bus station up with our operational centre allows us to have even better vision of any crime or disorder developing and help keep residents and visitors to Exeter safe.”

Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: “It's reassuring for passengers to know that the area around the bus station is being monitored and that emergency services are on hand. We want to help make public transport as appealing as possible in order to encourage green travel habits, and the CCTV coverage provides peace of mind for people, which I'm sure will be particularly welcomed by women travelling at night. Our Bus Service Improvement Plan funding from the DfT is improving the overall experience of bus travel, and I'm pleased that we're working closely with Stagecoach and Exeter City Council to ensure safety and security is maintained as part of that.”

Additionally, Stagecoach continues to work with key stakeholders in relation to the Safety of Women at Night (SWaN) Charter which has been developed as part of Exeter's commitment to keeping the city a safe place, where women feel confident and safe at night.

This scheme is one of a number of initiatives Stagecoach are working on with partners to help Devon residents travel safely. Later this Spring, funded by Devon & Cornwall Police, Devon County Council and other partners a number of new night services have launched across the South West bus network operating on Saturday nights. Running from midnight until as late as 4am the new late night journeys will offer customers a safe and affordable way to travel.