Accessibility and safety are two important aspects for coach and bus operators to consider when it comes to passenger experience
The final edition of the Transport Focus Bus User Survey (September 2023), for which passengers across Britain outside London were interviewed, found 85% were satisfied overall with their journey.
However, operators rest on their laurels at their peril, and it is vital to focus on the other 15%.
As the coach and bus industry needs to look at every aspect of operations to win over passengers from the private car, the importance of the passenger experience should not be overlooked.
We focus on two aspects of the passenger experience: safety and accessibility.
The role of accessibility in the coach and bus passenger experience
When it comes to accessible travel in the coach and bus sector, the true measure of success isn’t just meeting compliance standards.
It’s about delivering a positive experience to every passenger who uses these services.
This means focusing on the practical aspects of how accessibility equipment performs in daily operation, not simply whether it meets minimum requirements.
For passengers requiring assistance, reliable and well-designed equipment makes a substantial difference to their overall journey.
Passenger Lift Solutions (PLS) has developed its passenger lift range with this at the core of their approach.
“Every passenger deserves safe and dignified transport,” says Mike Pitt, Sales Director at PLS.
“Products that prioritise a lower initial cost might appear to provide the same basic function, but don’t always deliver the same level of comfort, convenience, or ease of use.
This means there needs to be a focus on value rather than just cost when selecting equipment.
“PLS passenger lifts incorporate engineered solutions like automatically deploying bridge plates and roll-off ramps, whereas more basic products require manual operation.
“For passengers, this means less waiting and a more straightforward boarding and disembarking process.”
PLS aims to go beyond basic industry standards with a range of safety features designed to improve the safe operation and overall experience for both passengers and operators.
For example, DoorSafe, a safety barrier, prevents access to the vehicle’s rear aperture before the lift operates, ensuring safe deployment without open rear doors and providing added peace of mind for passengers during boarding and disembarking.
Similarly, StopSafe, a high-strength barrier at the end of the platform, enhances safety for those using the lift.
“To offer flexibility in meeting a wide range of passenger needs, we’ve designed an ecosystem of safety features that can be retrofitted at any point in the lift’s lifecycle,” says Mike.
“Operators can enhance safety at a time that suits them, without the need for a complete system overhaul. This added reassurance for passengers contributes to both their safety and a more positive overall experience.”
Ongoing maintenance is equally important to passenger experience.
“Keeping equipment in optimal condition is key to providing safe and comfortable journeys,” Mike adds.
“When equipment fails, it doesn’t just disrupt operations, it directly impacts the passengers who rely on these services.
“This is especially important in the UK, where passenger lifts often face more intensive use, particularly within social care and SEND transport services.
“Regular maintenance and proactive servicing are vital to ensure that lifts continue to perform reliably, reducing the risk of disruptions and enhancing the experience for both passengers and operators.”
Effective accessible transport centres on understanding and responding to the everyday needs of passengers. When equipment design and safety features prioritise ease of use, provide reassurance, and contribute to a positive overall experience, these services provide genuinely inclusive travel for all.
The importance of safety
When it comes to the coach and bus passenger experience, little can be more important than safety.
Regardless of the cost, comfort and reliability of the service, getting from A to B safely is the priority for passengers.
That is the case despite passengers taking safety of coaches and buses for granted. According to the Department for Transport’s latest road safety statistics, coach and bus occupants experience a 28% lower fatality rate than car occupants per mile travelled.
However, the only reason passengers get on board without worrying about their safety is due to the legislation enforced within the industry. Luckily, the ease of complying with those regulations is aided significantly by modern technology.
Leading the way when it comes to such offerings for operators is Road Tech, which was a pioneer in transport management software when it launched Roadrunner in 1984.
After more than 40 years in the industry, its product offering has expanded and is now used by thousands of operators.
Tachomaster is Road Tech’s tachograph analysis software and, since roll-out in 2006, has scrutinised more than 310 million driver cards, charts and vehicle downloads.
Pre-Drive is the driver daily walk-round checking solution. Its maintenance back-end offers a complete audit trail of the defects of each vehicle, or make of vehicle, through to rectification.
The templates can be customised and it features the facility for image uploads.
Checkmaster is the authorised DVLA driver licence checking system. Operators can be alerted to any issues with driver compliance. Employees can remain on your system up to three years and additional checks can be automatically scheduled.
The telematics and vehicle tracking system DOT Tracking allows operators to optimise fleet efficiency.
Meanwhile, Roadrunner is still a leading way for operators to simplify daily operations of planning, managing, delivering, reporting and invoicing.
According to Road Tech Sales Manager Maureen Ballance, the transport sector — including coach and bus — has transformed itself when it comes to safety and compliance and that has had a hugely positive impact on the passenger’s experience.
“With products such as Tachomaster, which is the biggest-selling tacho analysis software on the market by some margin, and Pre-Drive, everything we do is about compliance and safety,” she says.
“I think our software has contributed substantially to compliance and safety.
“When I started with this company 33 years ago, when the transport management system was our only product, the most common response I had then was, ‘My grandfather didn’t have a transport management system so why do I need one?’
“My own father was a lorry driver and he used to say how things have changed and that, in his day, you got in the cab and you didn’t get out again until the job was done, no matter how long it took.
“We’ve come a long way since then. Over the years there’s a been total awakening of the industry.
“Every business, from owner-drivers to big national companies, is focused on the ramifications of not being compliant, and the industry is the better for it.”
