The Senedd backed a call for legislative change following concerns that twice as many women as men do not use public transport out of fear for their safety.

Delyth Jewell outlined proposals for a public transport safety bill on monitoring and upgrading street lighting at bus stops, railway stations and the surrounding streets.

Plaid Cymru’s deputy leader said her bill would streamline the process for reporting abuse and provide for a review of the safety training offered to people working on public transport.

She advocated introducing a radical legal requirement on public transport providers to ensure passengers get to their destination, or a place of safety, after dark.

Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales West, warned public transport is the fourth most common public setting for incidents of sexual harassment.

She said: “In Wales, 12 per cent of women say they feel ‘very unsafe’ using public transport, which is not the case among men.

Replying to the debate on 12 March, Minister Lee Waters said: “I'm not convinced that legislation is the right way to deal with this but deal with it we must.”

He told MSs there is undoubtedly a gendered element to the critically important debate.