Travel information: a passenger perspective

Colin Foxall

Passenger Focus

• Evidence based independent consumer organisation

• Have to be useful• Led by views of passengers:

- National Passenger Survey- Bus Passenger Survey- Passenger priorities and mystery traveller surveys- range of bespoke research

• Key relationships at national, regional and local levels

Making a difference

• National Passenger Survey (NPS) now a key rail industry indicator

• Strategic influence• Tangible passenger wins• Improve access for

passengers with particular

needs• Promote good practice in complaints handling• Bus, coach and tram role

Representing passengers

• Our approach to rail adapted to bus and coach • Research, including BPS• Build links with passengers • Work with operators and

stakeholders• Influence policy and practice• Get the passenger voice heard at all levels!

Starting with the passenger

• Our work starts with understanding passengers’ experiences and priorities for improvement

• The following slides on National Passenger Survey and Bus Passenger Survey and our priorities work represent our starting point

National Passenger Survey (Spring 2010)

• 79% of passengers satisfied with information at stations about train times and platforms

• 68% of passengers are satisfied with information during the journey

• 35% of passengers are satisfied with the way delays are dealt with

Passengers’ priorities for improvements in rail services (March 2010)

• Value for money, punctuality, regular services and enough seats are top 4 priorities for improvement

• Information about delays 5th/31 attributes

• Information on train times/platforms accurate and reliable 6th/31

• Existing passengers broadly satisfied with most recent journey (84-92%)

• Less satisfied with information inside bus (58-73%)

• Many stops don’t have timetables (33% in Cumbria, 73% in Swindon); accurate timetable and route information high priority for improvement nationally (8th/30)

Bus passenger information findings 1

• Most stops don’t carry fares information; does not meet passenger expectations

• Satisfaction with helpfulness of drivers varies (74-89%); high priority for improvement (7th)

• Numerous examples of stops with no/unreadable or out-of-date information

Bus passenger information findings 2

Bus stops: the good, the bad and the ugly

• L-R: Truro, Weymouth, Maidstone

• Next bus real time information at stop exception not rule (1% in Cumbria; 47% in Brighton)

• Doesn’t meet passengers’ reasonable expectations

• High priority for improvement nationally (12th/30) especially in South East (4th)

Real time next bus information at the stop

• Just over half of bus passengers used information sources to plan journey

• Most relied on printed timetable; a few used company websites; 1% used Traveline website

• 87% of passengers satisfied with Traveline website

Bus journey planning

Bespoke information research: rail

• Passenger information: what, when, where and how? (2004)

• Passenger information: a vision (2008)• Integrated transport: perception and reality

(2010)

Passenger information: a vision

• Further exploration of information at times of disruption• Rail passengers expect:

- timely information that identifies extent of interruption to services

- clear, relevant and reliable

information on alternative options• Need to improve flow of relevant, up-to-date

information to front-line staff is key

Integrated Transport: perception and reality

• We asked infrequent and non-rail users• 4 out of 5 would plan journey in advance• Information sources that would be used:

NRES website 28%, other internet 16%, NRES phone 9%

• Traveline 1-2% (9th and 10th)• Low expectations of information gathering,

but positive experiences

Bespoke bus research• Notification of service changes• Non-users research in Milton Keynes• Also, Passenger Link Managers are travelling

extensively by bus (from Land’s End

to Carlisle)

• Non-users unsure how to plan journeys• Difficult to spot bus stops in

street and disappointed that

timetables not at all stops• Participants claimed not to

know enough about route or

stop to narrow search though many found and printed relevant timetables

• No information sources felt to meet all needs• Research to be published shortly

What we are finding in Milton Keynes

Notification of changes to bus services• Research May 2010 to inform Government

consultation response• Three quarters of passengers find twice yearly

changes acceptable• Majority (62%) want at least 4 weeks’

notice of changes• Passengers want notification posted

on bus stops (76%), inside buses (61%) and in and in local papers (46%)

• Results to be published shortly

Buses: what next?

• Discuss research findings with operators, LAs, PTEs and agree action plans where performance poor and passenger priorities high

• Bus Passenger Survey: 20 more areas• Would like to do further research into

priorities and satisfaction of non-users

Conclusions

• Passengers broadly satisfied with information at stations and on trains, but much work still needed to improve information at times of disruption

• Bus passengers less satisfied with on-bus information, but priority to improve information at bus stops, especially timetables and

fares to boost patronage

www.passengerfocus.org.uk