Bus passengers limber up to have their say

17 September 2012

Bus passengers will once again be able to tell Passenger Focus about their experience of using buses as they travel to work, college or shops.

The Bus Passenger Survey (BPS), which kicks off from the end of September, provides a network-wide picture of customers’ satisfaction with bus travel and it is the largest survey of its kind. Passengers rate bus companies on both the journey experience on the bus and at the stop itself.  

This autumn’s survey which has received boost funding from local transport authorities and bus operators will target 25000 responses from 22 areas. This has grown from the initial pilot survey of 7300 passengers in six areas and the first full wave of surveys in a further 14 areas was published in July 2010. In March 2012 Passenger Focus published the next wave of results which also received boost funding to increase the number of survey responses.

Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said: “This work provides us with valuable evidence which we can use to press bus companies and local authorities to improve bus services and focus efforts on delivering what passengers want.”

The survey will be carried out in following areas (number of passengers to be surveyed in brackets):
•    Devon (1200)
•    Essex (600)
•    Greater Manchester / Transport for Greater Manchester (800)
•    Kent (1600)
•    Merseyside / Merseytravel (1400)
•    Milton Keynes (800)
•    Northumberland (1000)
•    Nottingham City (600)
•    Nottinghamshire (600)
•    Oxfordshire (600)
•    Reading (1200)
•    South East Hampshire and Cambridge Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services (600)
•    South Yorkshire / South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (1875)
•    Suffolk (700)
•    Tees Valley Group / Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees (2000)
•    Thurrock (500)
•    Tyne and Wear / Nexus (2000)
•    Warrington (400)
•    West Midlands /Centro) – (3750 which includes 750 on services covered by the Coventry Voluntary Multilateral Agreement)
•    West of England Partnership area / Bath and  North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (600)
•    West Yorkshire / Metro (1875)
•    Worcestershire (400)

Notes to editors

  1. The results of last year’s Bus Passenger Survey can be found on the Passenger Focus website:
    https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research/bus-passenger-survey
  2. Passenger Focus is the official, independent consumer organisation representing the interests of rail users nationally and bus, coach and tram users across England outside London. We want to make a difference for rail, bus, coach and tram passengers.
  3. We’ll do this by:
    – providing authoritative advice for industry based on sound research
    – securing improvements to services – both big and small-scale improvements
    – helping passengers with advice and information~
    – campaigning for change
    – acting on rail passenger complaints
  4. For further information please contact:
    Dervish Mertcan
    Communications Officer
    Tel: 0300 123 0847 / 07918 626 045
    or e-mail: dervish.mertcan@transportfocus.org.uk  
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