'Big Bus Conversation’ attracts diverse range of views

We would like to thank our customers for their contribution to a landmark consultation on the future of local bus services.

Over the past few weeks, more than 300 people had their say in the ‘Big Bus Conversation’, and their diverse views are now being used to shape further enhancements to services.

Hayley Gregory, Marketing Manager, explained: “Every decision we make on our routes and the frequency of services is based on feedback from the people who matter most to us, our customers.

“This major consultation has provided a fascinating insight into their expectations, as well as opinions on our existing service offer.”

While the full results of the online initiative are being analysed, some clear trends are already emerging. These include a desire to see increased frequency across all routes during the day and in the evening, when some would like to see later running times.

A lot of bus users would now like to see us match vehicle types to specific routes, with their size matching customer demand. This follows the grouping of routes with similar start and finish points, which has proved convenient for many customers.

“We were also pleased to see that more than half of the respondents are happy with our current range of fare options, and other opinions expressed in the Big Bus Conversation will help to shape future offers as part of our forthcoming ticketing review,” Hayley said.

“We would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in this honest and open debate on what we are already doing well and where improvements can be made,” she added.

We will be back in touch with all the contributors in the next few weeks with a more detailed analysis of comments and suggestions.