Transport User Voice – March 2018 – What’s happening in Wales?

22 February 2018

Transport Focus is continuing to work with Transport for Wales, to ensure passengers are at the heart of the new Wales and Borders rail service.

The Welsh Government has committed to a five-year programme of transport capital funding through Transport for Wales for both transport maintenance and new projects.

We will maintain our programme of work with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales, to ensure the passenger voice is heard at a higher level.

How do bus fares affect passenger opinions?

The Welsh Government is looking at how it provides discounted fares for young people and mandatory concessions for older and disabled people. It asked for opinions on a number of options for revising both schemes, in consultations which closed in January. Transport Focus responded to two consultations:

1. Young people’s fares looked at encouraging the use of bus services by younger people.

Our response draws from our recently published report on Using the bus: what young people think which shows that cost and value for money of the journey is their main area for improvement. Young people feel that paying adult fares when under 18 is unfair.

2. Mandatory concessions looked at the age for entitlement and provision for disabled people, companion travel and certain veterans.

Our response is grounded in a number of reports, including Trust, what to improve and using buses more and the Bus Passenger Survey. The reports show that around a quarter of bus journeys are made by passengers with a disability, and this group also has lower satisfaction with their journey. Improvements in service delivery in aspects such as information provisions and customer service from the driver will boost satisfaction and provide greater encouragement to travel for all passengers in Wales.

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