Exploring the long-term impacts of harassment on women's public transport use

Despite growing commitments to equitable mobility, women experience disproportionately higher rates of harassment on public transport than men, highlighting a critical gap in current transport safety and policy frameworks. While prior research has documented the prevalence of harassment, there is limited understanding of how repeated harassment exposure influences long-term mobility decisions, including reduced transit use. This study addresses this gap by examining the influence of harassment types and its cumulative effects on travel decisions across two life stages: early-life (below 18 years) and adulthood, using a gender-based violence (GBV) framework. Data were drawn from an online survey of 250 women rail users in Melbourne, who self-reported experiencing harassment that reduced their rail use. Compared to non-reduced users, this group reported higher exposure to multiple forms of harassment, particularly catcalling, intimidation, and unwanted touching; nearly 70% reported reduced rail use, with one in four indicating a major decline. Regression result show that verbal harassment is the most pervasive and significantly associated with reduced rail use, particularly when experienced across both life stages. More confrontational experiences, such as coercive sexual pressure exhibit strong effects when occurring in early-life, highlighting the enduring behavioural imprint of harassment on later mobility choices. By moving beyond conventional victimisation frameworks, this study contributes to new evidence on how cumulative harassment experiences translate into behavioural change. The findings underscore the need for gender-sensitive, trauma-informed interventions, improved reporting mechanisms, and early prevention strategies to support safer, more inclusive public transport systems and sustain women's long-term ridership.