The latest issue of the Bus Quality Indicators Bulletin is published today.
- The average satisfaction score given by passengers for the bus
journey just completed was 80 out of 100 in England, 83 in Metropolitan areas
and 82 in Shire areas outside London.
- In London, where the survey takes place continuously and the bus
passengers tend to be younger and have higher expectations, the average score
was 76 out of 100, up by two points compared with one year ago. Outside London,
the average score fell by one point compared with one year ago, but for England
as a whole, the average satisfaction score was the same as in July-September
2001.
- The highest satisfaction rating in London was for on-bus safety
and security, information on the bus, and crew behaviour, with an average
rating of 84 out of 100. In Metropolitan and Shire areas passengers were also
most satisfied with on bus safety and driver behaviour.
- Satisfaction with information at the bus stop averaged 64 for
England compared with 72 in London. Although the England figure was a three
point improvement on a year ago.
- Satisfaction with bus service reliability averaged 66 out of 100
in London, a two-point improvement compared with a year ago, 64 for Metropolitan
and Shire areas, and 65 for England as a whole.
Based on a new survey of Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) members, the
average age of the bus fleet used mainly for local services (some 34,500 vehicles)
was 7.5 years at 1 July 2002. Figures from the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency
(DVLA) covering the whole bus and coach fleet (over 90,000 vehicles), give an
average age of 8.3 years at the end of September 2002, compared with 8.4 years
in the previous quarter.
The bus service reliability survey (lost service mileage) found that 98.4 per
cent of scheduled local bus mileage in England was completed, the same as one
year ago. Mileage completed in London fell from 96.5 per cent in July-September
2001 to 96.4 per cent in the latest quarter. Outside London, 98.9 per cent of
scheduled mileage was completed, a slight increase from July-September 2001.
Notes to Editors
In November 1999, the Government announced new national targets agreed with
the bus industry for reliability and investment and the introduction of a regular
bus passenger satisfaction survey.
Following a review, a revised set of targets has been agreed with the Confederation
of Passenger Transport (CPT). These were set out in a DTLR press release on
30 April 2002 (News release 2002/0170).
- Reliability: the existing reliability indicator for services in
England of mileage lost for reasons within the operator's control will be
retained. This will entail CPT members achieving a target that requires them
to run 99.5% of scheduled route mileage, except where this is affected by
factors beyond their control.
- Fleet age: the CPT has committed its members in Great Britain
to a target which aims to achieve and maintain an average fleet age of 8 years
or less for their vehicles which are mainly used for local bus services.
- Accessibility: a new indicator will be introduced to track the
proportion of full size bus fleet that is fully accessible, the aim being
to ensure that 50% of vehicles are fully accessible by 2010. (The first monitoring
information showing 29 per cent of vehicles fully accessible was published
in table 27 of the Annual Bulletin of Public Transport Statistics in November
2002).
- Passenger information: a new target, under which operators in
England will seek to achieve year-on-year improvement in information at bus
stops, based on DfT national passenger satisfaction survey ratings during
the Ten Year Plan period.
The figures, and further details, are released today in the Transport Statistics
Bulletin Bus Quality Indicators: Quarter 2, 2002/2003 obtainable from:
Department for Transport
Transport Statistics Personal Travel
Room 2/17
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR
Telephone: 020 7944 4589
