- The Bank will support TMB in monitoring and measuring the impact of the current harassment prevention plans to increase the accessibility of transport services
- The project is expected to enhance the quality of TMB metropolitan public transport network, including both metro and buses, thus incentivizing the use of public transport
- The inclusion of gender equality criteria in the development of transport plans is an integral part of the advisory support provided by the EIB within the context of its sustainable mobility financing projects
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed an Advisory Service Agreement with Barcelona’s public transport operator, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) to further strengthen the security of TMB transport network against all forms of harassment. This advisory agreement is signed within the context of the €50 million investment project financed by EIB for the acquisition of new rolling stock which will enhance the accessibility of Barcelona’s metropolitan transport system.
The agreement includes a special focus on addressing gender-based sexual harassment often experienced by women, members of the LGBTIQ+ community and other vulnerable groups. The Advisory Services Agreement will support TMB to assess the impact and further build on the harassment prevention measures already in place, such as the implementation of the violet agents, the installation of the entire system of real-time video surveillance cameras (more than 8,000 on the metro and 4,500 on the bus) and LED lighting, among others.
More than 500 million journeys per year
Each year over 370 million of journeys take place in the TMB metro network and more the 170 million in the TMB bus network of Barcelona. TMB’s priority is the prevention of harassment on the public transport network and to act fast, ensuring that protocols and procedures are highly impactful to stop and prevent any forms of harassment. Enhanced measures can take the form of awareness and advertising campaigns for prevention, specific training to enable public officers and authorities to better handle challenging situations, bolstering surveillance systems, and improving lighting in public spaces, at bus stops, foyers, platforms and metro connecting corridors.
The advisory support will also help TMB better understand whether additional resources are needed to implement their envisioned state of the art harassment prevention plans and a roadmap to facilitate the roll-out of any of the abovementioned measures. Applying a gender-lens, a survey will be launched as part of the advisory service to gain additional insights of public transport users’ perceived security of the TMB’ transport network in Barcelona. TMB is particularly keen to address any concerns and needs women, members of the LGBTIQ community and other vulnerable populations have. The results of the survey as well as the implementation plan will be key to build the case for gender-lens investments in sound prevention plans and potential upgrades of TMB’s infrastructure.
Laia Bonet, president of TMB, said “public transport must be a safe location for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender, and for TMB this issue is an absolute priority”. Also, about the advisory services of EIB, Bonet said “with this project we want to strengthen our policies and actions in the fight against all forms of harassment”.
Hristo Stoykov, Head of Advisory Services at the EIB said “promoting the use of public transport is an important element in our collective efforts to meet the challenging climate goals ahead of us. Mobility infrastructure investments that are well designed and implemented with women’s needs in mind create jobs and are likely to boost everyone’s income. In turn, cities that are more inclusive contribute to more stable local economies, helping to finance public services that benefit all.” Stoykov added, “EIB Advisory Services are thrilled to partner with TMB to further enhance a mobility environment which is inclusive, safe, and accessible for all. This will also help us identify additional best practices to further protect women and other vulnerable groups against all forms of harassment across our mobility investments inside and outside the European Union.”
Advisory in support of gender inclusion
The success of sustainable transport plans and mobility strategies requires a recognition that the majority of public transport users are often female and, therefore, that women should be put at the center of the planning process to make sure that their needs are properly met by transport services. Inclusive mobility solutions should not only look at physical requirements associated with vehicles, bus stops, sanitary facilities and other infrastructure, but also to the frequency and availability of public transport, as well as the presence of security staff in the vehicles and stations.The inclusion of gender equality criteria in sustainable mobility projects is an integral part of the advisory support provided by the EIB.
To enhance the positive impact of its activities on gender equality and empower women and girls, the EIB Group adopted a Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment and a Gender Action Plan, with the aim of embedding gender equality and in particular women’s economic empowerment in the EIB’s business model. It covers its lending, blending and advisory work within and outside the European Union. In 2022, the Bank invested around €4 billion, including 2.4 in the EU, for public and private sector projects that support gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in sectors such as bioeconomy, digital, energy, health, mobility, urban development and water.
The EIB is also committed to driving gender equality in the workplace. The EU bank champions diversity and inclusion not only because of the undeniable business benefits they bring, but also because of their power to enrich the working environment for all staff.
Background information
TMB
TMB is the main public transport operator in Catalonia. With more than 8,500 employees, it operates the metro and bus network in Barcelona and 10 other municipalities with a fleet of 1,140 vehicles. TMB's vision is to work towards the customer and the citizens, with some of the main lines of the Strategic Plan 2025 being sustainability, universal accessibility, innovation and the promotion of public transport.
EIB
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It finances sound investment contributing to EU policy goals.
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), which consists of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), reported another year of impressive results in Spain, with record support for climate-friendly projects and overall financing signed in 2022 reaching €9.9 billion.