As winter approaches, the public transport sector is calling for greater support for public transport staff dealing with the growing impact of homelessness across the network.
For millions of people, public transport is simply a way to get to work, A to B or make their way home. But for people without a safe place to stay, a bus, a train or a bus station can sometimes become a place to keep warm, find shelter or spend the night.
As homelessness continues to rise, CILT(UK) is highlighting the additional and increasing pressure the challenge is putting on public transport networks and frontline staff. Government figures estimate that 4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night in England in autumn 2025 – the highest recorded under the current measurement approach.
Transport workers are often among the first people to encounter someone who may be vulnerable. A bus driver may notice someone repeatedly sleeping on a bus. A station employee may find someone seeking warmth late at night. Staff also encounter people who are distressed, unwell or unsure where they can access help.
Austin Birks, Chair of the Bus & Coach Forum, said: “The impact can be particularly visible at transport hubs and on services operating late into the evening and overnight – for example night bus services. Drivers, station staff and other employees can find themselves dealing with vulnerable people who may be sleeping on services, remaining in stations or requiring assistance.”
In London, bus drivers reported 3,229 rough sleepers to Transport for London during the final quarter of 2024/25 – 29% more than the previous year. For transport operators, this can mean additional demands on frontline staff. However, CILT(UK) stresses that transport bosses must support their teams so they can better direct, signpost and support those sleeping rough in the best way possible.
Austin added: “Anyone that’s worked in public transport knows staff have every symphony with those facing tough times and the impact is not as simple as it seems. Transport networks are increasingly being asked to respond to a wider social challenge and so many of our frontline workforce are facing challenges they are not trained or ready for.”
Austin continued: “The question is therefore not whether transport workers should solve homelessness – they cannot – but whether they are sufficiently supported when they encounter it. We have to be sensitive about this. People experiencing homelessness are not the problem. But the transport sector is feeling the pressure of a wider social issue - and our staff need to be properly supported.
“The objective is not to place another responsibility on already stretched frontline workers, but to ensure they have the training, guidance and support needed to respond safely and appropriately.”
CILT(UK) want to make sure colleagues know how to recognise vulnerability, what to do and who they can contact. With winter approaching, now is the time to put that support in place.
As winter approaches, CILT(UK) believes the transport sector should be part of the conversation about how communities respond to homelessness – while recognising that the long-term solution lies beyond the transport network itself.