What makes a great bus journey? Transport Focus asks

Independent watchdog, Transport Focus, has issued a report into what makes a great bus journey.

The report, ‘Making great bus journeys’, analysed feedback from passengers on more than 35,000 journeys in England to provide detailed data for each of the 34 local transport authority areas and many more bus operators in the survey to deliver services in a way that suits the needs of their passengers.

Nationally, timeliness of the bus is the most important driver of overall journey satisfaction and accounts for 51% of what differentiates between a good and a great journey. Building on that experience to get from a good to a great journey are two further factors; having a friendly and helpful bus driver (16%) at the wheel and the experience on the bus (clean and comfortable vehicle) at 13%.

The data provides insight for local areas, particularly those that have just received part of the £712m BSIP funding, to help focus this investment on the things that really matter to passengers.

The report details a number of bus partnerships that have used the survey data to make changes to improve journeys for passengers. They include Nottingham City Council’s introduction of a number of small changes including more stringent enforcement of bus lanes and yellow box junctions. Nottingham scored joint second highest for punctuality in the Your Bus Journey survey with 85%.

The report also details some of the ‘ingredients’, and recommendations for operators, authorities and government to improve services:

• Timeliness is more important than ever. Enhanced Partnership Schemes and Franchising plans, and future revisions of Bus Service Improvement Plans, should prioritise the delivery of measures to speed up buses and make them more frequent and more reliable.
• Bus operators should review their operational and ticketing arrangements to minimise cancellations and reduce the time spent at stops, where this can be safely done.
• Local Authorities and relevant agencies should take more co-ordinated action to control roadworks and enforce measures to speed up buses.
• Operators should make most effective use of onboard audio-visual equipment to announce impacts of delays and keep passengers informed of disruption while at the stop or on the bus.

“Passengers tell us they want their bus to turn up on time, without a long wait, and to reach their destination in good time, as set out in the timetable” – Transport Focus Director, David Sidebottom

Transport Focus Director, David Sidebottom, said: “Passengers tell us they want their bus to turn up on time, without a long wait, and to reach their destination in good time, as set out in the timetable. This analysis gives insight into the ingredients to help improve local services and the experience for passengers.

“For more areas to maintain their high levels of service and for rural areas and small towns to offer more services, it’s vital that operators use this data to focus on delivering these basics better. We’ll be working with local transport authorities and bus operators to use this to drive further improvements and attract more people onto buses.”

The Your Bus Journey survey, which is now in its second year, has expanded to include both Scotland and Wales and new results will be published in March 2025.