Torbay Council partners with travel and personal safety app to help keep community safe

Torbay Council have partnered with imabi to launch the Torbay area on Travel Guardian, a free personal safety app.

The app gives residents and visitors an easier way to report anti-social behaviour concerns, access support and stay safe when they’re out and about.

The partnership means app users can access Torbay-specific information including the locations of the nearest taxi ranks, bus stops, safe spaces and medical equipment, ideal for people on a night out or travelling after dark.

It comes after a survey carried out by Safer Torbay earlier this year revealed 48% of participants felt unsafe using public transport after dark. The findings also showed women, young people, and disabled people are more likely to feel unsafe when using public transport at night.

Only a third of respondents who experienced or witnessed crime reported it.

The app offers clear reporting routes for users to report safety concerns or ASB anonymously.

The app also offers real-time alerts, links to local and national support organisations and geo-location tools that allow users to share their journey with trusted contacts.

The partnership is being funded through GWR’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, which funds projects to support customers on public transport.

Councillor Hayley Tranter, Torbay’s Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Keeping our communities safe in our towns is a priority for us.

“The Safer Torbay survey showed that many people do have concerns about their personal safety, particularly women and girls, and that shouldn’t be the case. We’re addressing those concerns through this app, which can offer extra peace of mind.

“It’s startling that only a third of people who experience or see crime or harassment report it. Travel Guardian provides a simple way for them to report anything they witness quickly and easily.

“The app also allows users to let friends know where they are and when they’ll be arriving at a location. Plus, people can find out where the nearest taxi ranks, bus stops and train stations are, all at their fingertips. We’ve also added venues who’ve signed our Safety of Women at Night charter and other organisations that can offer support.

“As the nights get darker and more people start going out in the evenings on festive celebrations, tools like Travel Guardian become even more useful.”

As a result of Travel Guardian’s regionalisation features, users in Torbay can access local safety updates relevant to the area, while those outside the boundary can also opt in and subscribe to Torbay local updates, regardless of their geolocation.

Mark Balaam, founder and CEO of imabi, which powers Travel Guardian, said: “We created imabi Travel Guardian to give people confidence in their everyday journeys and communities. Partnering with Torbay Council means that local information can now sit alongside national safeguarding tools, making the app even more powerful for those who use it.

“This partnership shows how councils can lead the way in embracing preventative, digital-first safeguarding.”

The council is launching its collaboration with imabi and launching the Torbay area on the Travel Guardian app on White Ribbon Day and at the start of 16 Days of Activism against domestic abuse and sexual violence, an annual campaign raising awareness of gender-based violence.

White Ribbon Day is the campaign to prevent violence against women and girls by engaging with men and boys.

Find out more and download the app

Read the Safer Torbay survey results