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1.1. This standard operating procedure (SOP) has been reviewed in January 2025 - no amendments to content have been made.
2.1. This policy applies to police officers, special constables, police community support officers (PCSOs) and police staff where applicable. The purpose of this policy is to give guidance to police officers, special constables, PCSOs and police staff on the use of public transport services.
Compliance with this SOP and any governing policy is mandatory.
On duty only
3.1. Bus travel: Approved bus operators, Arriva and Stagecoach will provide services free of charge to police officers, special constables and PCSOs in Kent under the conditions of this policy. The onus remains with the individual officer to check that the operator is participating in this scheme, prior to the commencement of their journey. The following list indicates who is eligible for this service: Arriva and Stagecoach bus companies offer free travel to police officers, special constables and PCSOs on duty, this does not include travel to their place of duty (with the exception of paragraph 4.2). If they are not in uniform they must show their warrant card to the driver on boarding the bus.
3.2. Rail travel: Under the conditions of this policy, approved rail operators (currently South-Eastern) will provide services free of charge to police officers, special constables and PCSOs in Kent whilst:
3.3. Dartford River Crossing: All police marked vehicles are exempt. Unmarked police fleet vehicles and hire cars needed to be added to a list held by Transport Services to be made exempt - to add a vehicle or make sure a vehicle is already on the list, contact the Essex transport co-ordinator on 480649 at least 48 hours prior to the journey.
3.3.1 Congestion charge – All police marked vehicles are exempt. Unmarked police fleet vehicles and hire cars needed to be added to a list held by Transport Services to be made exempt - to add a vehicle or make sure a vehicle is already on the list, contact the Kent transport co-ordinator on 14-2316 at least 48 hours prior to the journey.
3.3.2 ULEZ – Ultra Low Emission Zone – No exemption from this charge. Contact the Kent transport co-ordinator on 14-2316 at least 48 hours prior to the journey.
3.4. Conduct on transport whilst on duty
3.4.1. Police officers, special constables and PCSOs who are travelling on public transport whilst on duty will be expected to take appropriate actions to prevent crime and disorder and offer reassurance to the community as the occasion arises.
3.4.2. There is an expectation of Kent Police, operators and the general public of any police officer, special constable or PCSO whilst ‘on duty’; however, it is accepted that they would need to conduct a dynamic risk assessment including the following:
3.5. Any incident requiring the intervention of an officer/PCSO in these circumstances should be recorded in a pocket notebook, or Storm record if communicated to the force control room. The duty manager should be notified and an intelligence report or form 1068 completed if appropriate.
4.1 Transport for London (TFL) current policy is to provide free travel on its transport services to Kent Police officers. These services include buses, tubes, trams, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground (LO) and TfL Rail services, and also the Emirates Air Line (the cable car spanning the Thames from North Greenwich to Royal Victoria) and Thames Clippers who run their scheduled river bus services. This does not include rail or bus transport into London on non TFL services. Police officers (excluding special constables, police staff and PCSOs), can travel on or off duty, in and out of uniform and on the production of a valid police warrant card.
4.2. Arriva, Stagecoach and Chalkwell Bus companies - Kent police officers (excluding special constables, police staff and PCSOs) may travel with Arriva and Stagecoach at no charge, on or off duty, providing they have a valid warrant card with them. Chalkwell offer similar arrangements on their local bus routes, although these exclude the use of their specific daybreak services.
4.3. Police officers using these concessions are under a positive duty to assist relevant operator staff when properly requested to do so and are also expected to render such appropriate assistance as the circumstances reasonably dictates when criminal or anti-social behaviour is witnessed.
4.4. Should an intervention be required when off-duty, whilst officers should continue to conduct a dynamic risk assessment, they must be aware that the risks posed will be increased since they will not be in possession of the appointments normally associated with their role such as equipment, support, etc. Officers must be aware of the balance between observing the duty to intervene under the office of constable with potential increased risk to themselves and should take all reasonable steps to reduce the foreseeable risks.
4.5. The expectation is that if any incident occurs you will assist operator staff in dealing with it as a police officer. As such if officers are aware that they will not be in a practical position to provide such assistance (this could be through a number of reasons such as intoxication or caring for a child/vulnerable person) then officers should not accept free travel.
4.6. All concessions are conditional on production of a valid warrant card, apply to standard class travel only, are not to be used to further any secondary business interest or to gain access to secondary employment and do not extend to dependants, family members etc.
4.7. Any abuse of entitlements may result in prosecution by the provider and will be treated as a misconduct matter.
4.8. Any incident requiring the intervention of an officer in these circumstances should be recorded in a pocket notebook, or storm record if communicated to the force control room. The duty manager should be notified and an intelligence report or form 1068 completed if appropriate.
5.1. An EIA has been carried out and shows the proposals in this policy would have no potential or actual differential impact on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
6.1. This SOP has been assessed as low risk.
8.1. This SOP will be reviewed every two years by the Professional Standards Department with the next review taking place in January 2027.
9.1 Kent Police has measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy.
10.1 Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy.
Policy reference: Wrongdoing: use of public transport without charge policy (P01d)
Contact point: Head of Professional Standards Department
Date last reviewed: January 2025
If you require any further information or to request any documentation referenced within the policy please email [email protected]. For general enquiries, contact us.