Transportation Industry Recommendations

The following is an overview of the recommendations for the transportation industry discussed in the new report from Polaris, On-Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking. This topic was included in the transportation chapter of the report.

1. Travel Vouchers or Points Donation

   • 54% of survivors responding to Polaris’s survivor survey noted that transportation was a barrier to their leaving their situation.

   • Survivors of trafficking need assistance in gaining transportation to shelter, other social services, back home to their family and/or job interviews.

   • Public and private transportation companies should implement a philanthropic model to donate credits, points, or vouchers to organizations that directly serve survivors of trafficking.

     • Polaris, through operation of the National Human Trafficking Hotline, could distribute such points on a national scale.

   • Customers can also donate their points/credits directly to select anti-trafficking organizations as well.

2. Post Prevention-Based Materials at Transit Hubs including the National Hotline Number

   • Since many victims have not yet been trafficked at the time they’re passing through transit stations and airports, outreach materials at these locations should focus on prevention education, healthy relationships, and migrant worker rights and also include the National Hotline number for future use.

3. Develop an Employee Anti-Trafficking and Demand Reduction Policy

   • Such a policy should prohibit employees from using the company’s services, work time, or vehicles to facilitate or aide in human trafficking or to procure commercial sex.

   • Such a policy should involve immediate termination and possible law enforcement action if an employee is in violation.

4. Train Staff on What to Look for and How to Respond

   • Training should be required for all employees and include information about the specific types of trafficking most likely to utilize their form of transportation, trafficking indicators, and how to initiate their company’s protocol once a situation is suspected.

   • For companies which rely on independent contractors (such as rideshare drivers) where mandatory training may not be possible, companies should still commit to making educational resources available to contractors.

   • Data driven and survivor-centered training modules should be created in collaboration with anti-trafficking organizations and survivors.

5. Develop Survivor Centered and Trauma Informed Response Protocols.

   • Response protocols should be designed collaboratively with survivors and anti-trafficking organizations to ensure they don’t cause further harm or trauma.

   • Companies should seek research and data to inform protocols, with an emphasis on monitoring and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of specific interventions and policy/procedural changes.

   • Instituting a cross-departmental anti-human trafficking task force which meets semi-annually to evaluate the execution of protocols in response to recent cases is one idea.

6. Display and Promote The National Human Trafficking Hotline Number

   • Even if a business is under obligation to use another type of law enforcement tipline, having the Hotline posted is a good addition since the Hotline functions as both a tipline and a victim services resource.

   • Prominently display the Hotline number, both in company offices/headquarters, user apps, and in vehicles/planes for both employees and customers to see.