LGBTQI+ personal safety and security in public transport: a systematic literature review and practice-ready takeaways

Kirsten J. Tilleman, Subeh Chowdhury and Theunis F.P. Henning

Transport Reviews, 2025, vol. 45, issue 4, 605-641

Abstract: Increasing uptake of public transport as part of a sustainable transportation future requires improving people’s experience and perception of personal safety and security. People with marginalised identities like LGBTQI+ are more likely to be targets of harassment and other forms of violence, including when using public transport. This paper provides a systematic literature review on the security experiences of LGBTQI+ public transport users and practice-ready recommendations for addressing LGBTQI-directed violence on public transport. Search criteria included security/safety, LGBTQI+, and public transport. The resulting 51 publications provide key findings across five themes, starting with a foundational understanding of LGBTQI-directed violence in public transport settings. Public transport characteristics provide additional context for LGBTQI+ people’s risk of violence. LGBTQI+ people’s perceptions of personal security and fear of violence inform the discussion of consequences to LGBTQI+ wellbeing and effects on mobility. Current practices and knowledge gaps help frame how public transport researchers and practitioners can create a more inclusive planning and design process for public transport operations that are safer and more secure for all users. In doing so, public transport becomes a key vehicle for challenging – rather than perpetuating – societal normalisation of violence.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2025.2487892

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