In their 2018-19 Annual Report to the Secretary of State for Transport, the Traffic Commissioners (TCs) observed that the six-minute window of tolerance for bus service punctuality may soon have been to change as part of review and modernisation of performance measurement.
That was almost four-and-and-a-half years ago, but the bus industry remains with the same millstone around its neck. Slack can be cut for the TCs not having advanced possible reform of the metric given their workload in the meantime, but it is something that need attention.
Why? Because the current approach is – as the TCs hinted in 2019 – barely fit for purpose. It has led to schedules that are padded with mid-route recovery time to take account of worst-case scenarios while ensuring that punctuality targets are largely met. When traffic is normal, buses wait for what can be prolonged periods. That is no way to attract customers, although it no doubt makes punctuality figures look good.
Perhaps the TCs could explore measurement of how many journeys depart their start point on time as part of reform. That is a key metric and is largely within an operator’s control. Recovery time is much better allocated between trips rather than mid-route.
Further impetus for change in England is created by the Bus Open Data Service. When coupled to operators’ own apps and third-party services, availability of accurate location information is widespread, although it is no substitute for a schedule that is realistic most of the time.
While the window of tolerance needs examination by TCs, that is not to say that they hold undue responsibility for enabling realistic timetables. There still needs to be a measure of mid-route punctuality, but perhaps not to the same onerous degree as currently when real-time information and predicted arrival times using historic data are factored in.
Clockface departures in peak periods are long gone in many cases, and operators ultimately bear the burden of ensuring that their buses run to time wherever possible. Artificial intelligence – it is claimed – can help to set accurate journey-by-journey schedules, while local authorities in some areas could do more to assist bus reliability.
Regardless of the above, the six-minute window of punctuality tolerance has grown to hamper the bus industry, acceptance of ‘reasonable excuse’ notwithstanding. The TCs must look at its ongoing suitability, and options for change, sooner rather than later.
