Buses must pull out all the stops

A poll has revealed that bus services in the North-West are in need of major changes and has called on the Department of Transport to make improvements.

Experiences of pre-planning journeys, the range of information available, the bus stop environments, vehicle presentation and driving standards were all examined on 100 journeys across the region.

The TravelWatch survey also found that little information was available about prices and journey times.

A lack of consistency on websites or printed timetables across the different companies increased the difficulty and confusion felt by some passengers, were also pointed out.

Drivers were praised for their consideration and ability to respond to situations although the report argued that improvements could be made when informing passengers about delayed or late-running services.

Chris Dale, chairman of TravelWatch North-West, said: “While the standards of vehicle presentation and driving were mostly good, we found the industry lags behind other transport modes in the provision of information.

“There is no industry ‘house style’ in the presentation of websites and timetables and it is impossible to find out the cost of walk-up fares in advance of journeys.

“When these can vary between £2 and £7 for journeys of the same distance there is little wonder that new travellers are not attracted.”

The report acknowledged that serious investment would be needed to make the changes and provide better customer care, calling on Department for Transport and industry leaders to address the shortcomings.