DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (114) issued by The Government News Network
on 6 September 2007
Almost
three-quarters of bus passengers are pleased with the service
provided by their local buses, a Department for Transport survey
into passenger experiences reveals today.
The Public experiences of and attitudes towards bus travel report
was commissioned by the Department to improve understanding of the
opinions of both users and non-users of their local services.
Passengers were found to be generally positive about their
experiences, with the vast majority rating the services provided
as either 'very' or 'fairly' good.
Furthermore, most households could claim to live within a short
walk of their nearest bus stop with a quarter of all adults using
their local bus service at least once a week.
Amongst the findings the survey showed that:
* 72% of passengers who gave their opinion of local bus services
rated them as very or fairly good.
* Bus services are accessible - 92% of adults can walk to their
nearest bus stop within 13 minutes.
* Regular bus use is relatively common - 25% of adults said they
used local bus services at least weekly, and a further 13% at
least monthly.
* The average person made 65 trips by local bus, travelling 296
miles, in 2006.
The survey also reveals the challenge of encouraging more people
to use the bus instead of the car for local journeys. Just over
half of 'non-bus users' stated that the convenience
offered by their own car dissuaded them from using the bus more
often, with relatively few mentioning cost, frequency or safety as
concerns. However, half of all non-users felt they would travel
more by bus if they saw continuing improvements in the services provided.
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton said:
"Bus services play a crucial role in communities across the
country - as well as helping to cut congestion and tackle climate
change - and I am encouraged that this survey shows people value
those services.
"We recognise, however, that more still needs to be done and
that is why we published the draft Local Transport Bill earlier
this year, outlining proposals to give local authorities the right
mix of powers to further improve local bus services."
Public transport statistics also published today show use of
buses in England rose by 4% in the year since free local off-peak
bus travel was introduced for older and disabled people in April 2006.
This scheme will be extended in April 2008 to allow older and
disabled people to travel for free anywhere in England, rather
than just in their local area.
Notes to Editors
1. Public experiences of and attitudes towards bus travel covers
Great Britain and is based on a module of questions included in
the Office for National Statistics' Omnibus Survey in
February 2007 and repeated in June 2007. The questions were
commissioned and designed by the Department for Transport. The
report covers the following issues:
* access to local bus services and the quality of services;
* the frequency and purpose of bus journeys;
* how bus users and non-users rate local bus services;
* whether recent experiences of bus travel have met expectations;
* the features of bus travel that users most value;
* reasons why people do not use bus services more often and the
improvements people believe would encourage use.
2. The NS Omnibus Survey is a random survey of adults aged 16 and
over living in private households in England, Wales and Scotland.
The February 2007 Omnibus Survey interviewed 1,111 adults
face-to-face in their own homes. The response rate was 67%. The
June 2007 survey interviewed 1,114 adults and the response rate = 61%.
3. The full report is available on the Department for Transport
website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trsnstatsatt/
4. Public Transport Statistics Bulletin: Great Britain 2007
Edition is also published today. The statistical release can be
viewed at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/public/annualbulletins/.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk