Transport User Voice – March 2020 – Bus priorities research

26 February 2020

Value for money is as important as ever

What’s most important to bus users? We found out.

We talked to 5000 bus users across England and asked them to rank their priorities for improvement on local bus services. This latest research on bus priorities follows on work we did in 2009 and 2016.

Value for money comes up frequently. This can be helped by deals which match more flexible working patterns but also by making sure the quality of the service provided matches the basic cost of the distance travelled.

We’ve also consistently found that for passengers getting the basics right cannot be underestimated. This includes buses arriving on time to the bus stop, journeys not getting delayed and simply having bus services that go where passengers want to go.

It’s clear that improving the bus network is by far the biggest priority. Outside of this tackling antisocial behaviour is also an issue.

When split into age, priorities for improvements vary with young people keen to see punctuality improved. For 35-64 year olds value for money comes first. For over 65s the frequency of service is most important.

Interestingly, we found that there are opportunities to increase bus users, primarily by stressing the environmental and health benefits of bus.

As ever, the research shows simple ways for significant improvements on buses. Listen up bus operators!

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