Eight out of ten satisfied with their bus journey

A survey carried out by Passenger Focus has found that eight out of ten passengers in Greater Manchester are satisfied with their bus journey.

The Chairman and Vice Chairman of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) have welcomed the publication of Passenger Focus’ Bus Passenger Survey results, which mirrors the research of GMPTE.

As part of an England wide survey, a sample of around 2000 passengers were surveyed in Greater Manchester in November.

Councillor Ian Macdonald, Chair of GMITA, said: “That 84 per cent of passengers in Greater Manchester are satisfied is a good result, particularly given that a higher proportion of commuters, who tend to travel in peak hour traffic, were surveyed in Greater Manchester than in other PTE areas.

“While the survey results are not telling us any new information, it has provided a useful snapshot of bus services in Greater Manchester, which will help to bring a public awareness to issues we have been actively seeking to improve.”

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Vice Chair of GMITA, said: “Greater Manchester’s bus network operates within a large, diverse and very busy conurbation – some 220 million passenger journeys are made each year – with bus operators facing a range of challenges, including traffic congestion.

“Despite the challenges, we are committed to assisting bus operators to provide a network which offers passengers a reliable and consistently high quality public transport option, presenting an attractive alternative to travel by car.

“We have been actively seeking to improve services in conjunction with bus operators and highways authorities by developing initiatives such as Voluntary Partnership Agreements, which are now at an advanced stage, and we continue to urge operators to ensures fares are as affordable as possible”

Gradyn Thompson, General Manager of Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association (GMBOA), said: “While eight out of ten passengers are satisfied with their bus journey; we do recognise that more can be done to improve passengers’ experience.

“Key issues such as slow journey speeds resulting from congestion, driver appearance and helpfulness, and cleanliness of buses throughout the day are high on the agenda for improvement.

“Fortunately, we are uniquely placed in Manchester because we already have a strong partnership, with bus operators, through GMBOA, working closely with GMPTE and GMITA to influence bus performance standards and engage in proactive dialogue.”