A route to improvements for subsidised bus services

Bus Lane

Bus passengers are being promised more consistent standards in publicly funded services with the introduction of a new rating system.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is introducing the system to measure the quality of an operator’s service against priorities that are important to passengers before awarding a contract to run a subsidised service.

Councillor Roger Jones, Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester Committee’s Capital Projects and Policy sub committee, said: “Subsidised services count for twenty per cent of the overall bus network in Greater Manchester, and more than 400 daily school services.

“We invest almost £40 million each year in paying bus operators to run these services in areas where there is a genuine need, yet no commercial services are provided.

“While standards across the region’s bus network are in some instances extremely high, it is important the industry works together to ensure the highest possible standards are delivered consistently for passengers.

“That’s why we are launching this new supplier rating system: to introduce an assessment of ‘quality’ into the process of awarding our bus contracts, which reflect the high standards that passengers rightly expect.”

The new rules mean that all operators running a subsidised bus service will be scored against 15 priority areas including punctuality, reliability and service performance, as well as vehicle quality, driver conduct and the use of CCTV on buses to help passengers feel safer.

Operators are also being scored against the timeliness and accuracy of the contractual data they provide TfGM, including revenue declarations and ticketing data, which is used to monitor their performance.

Michael Renshaw, TfGM’s Bus and Rail Director, explained: “Bus operators will have their performance scored against a range of areas that are important to passengers. Once complete, we then work with operators to look at where improvements can be made.”

Operators who already performing well will be able to identify areas for further improvement through the new system.

From February 2012, any operator scoring below the minimum level of quality required will be unable to tender for TfGM contracts. Thereafter, the threshold will be progressively raised to ensure improvements continue to be made.

The rating system builds on wider work to continuously improve the performance of the region’s bus services, such as the introduction of the Code of Conduct in October 2010 and revision of the conditions of contract.