Transport User Voice May 2025 – Your Bus Journey

30 April 2025

Spotlighting best practice

With 48,000 journeys across thousands of bus routes, the Your Bus Journey survey has let passengers tell us in their own words what matters to them most about all aspects of their bus journey. This survey provides passenger feedback on various measures including the wait at the stop, to the experience on board, the driver, and overall timeliness. But how does this differ from Warrington to Walsall and Carlisle to Cardiff? 

Rural versus urban 

This year’s survey has highlighted the welcome improvements to bus services in rural areas. Results show that on average rural area’s performance is up six per cent from 2023. In comparison, the large metropolitan areas have improved, but at a much slower pace – up two percentage points. 

East Sussex is a perfect example of rural improvement, with the 2024 data showing it had the most improvement out of all areas in England. Passengers were satisfied with 87 per cent of journeys – up eight percentage points from 2023. Substantial investment has helped improve the bus network, providing more services to more places, including increased frequency and operating times and more weekend services, particularly improving Sunday provision. 

So, what’s made the difference? More passengers now say that they can get to places they need to go, and that buses in the area are frequent and reliable with good service information. Investment in real-time information at bus stops with QR codes enabling access to bus routes and timings through a smartphone.  

The investment has had significant impact on satisfaction with both punctuality and waiting time – both up 11 per centage points. Passengers have also welcomed improvements and upgrades to bus stops, bus shelters and better signage alongside introduction of a variety of fare reductions that complemented the national single fare cap including multi-operator day tickets to reduced young person fares. 

Investment brings changes 

Warrington, having been one of the lower performing areas in England in 2023, is one of the most improved in 2024. Passengers in Warrington were satisfied with 85 per cent of their bus journeys – which is on a par with other urban areas. 

Passengers have seen significant investment over the last year with new electric buses, improvement through driver training, and the retention of low fares (some capped at £1). Feedback on value for money is up nine per cent, as well as improvements in how passengers think generally about bus services especially cost and reliability. 

One of the areas of concern in 2023 was the experience at bus stops – the second-lowest ranked in England. In the past year more than 200 bus shelters have been replaced, installing new timetable information displays and introducing security staff at the main interchange to manage anti-social behaviour. 

Satisfaction with bus stops has seen one of the biggest improvements up 10 percentage points to 80 per cent, with the perception of personal security at bus stops up 12 percentage points. Reports of anti-social behaviour have reduced, and the great work done in this area gives other authorities a strong incentive to follow Warrington in implementing similar measures in their own areas. 

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