With bus services struggling to maintain patronage, and coach equivalents trying to take the best advantage of a returning or even booming market, it is crucial that the experience of passengers when they are on or waiting for a bus is a pleasant one.
Results from Transport Focus’s recently published 2023 Your Bus Journey survey revealed 80% of passengers said they were “satisfied” overall with their bus journey.
However, a few findings suggest room for improvement: The satisfaction rate varied widely from 73% to 90% in different areas of the country. Secondly, only 44% said they were “very satisfied”.
Furthermore, drilling down to various aspects of passenger experience revealed lower satisfaction numbers — for example, 67% for value for money, 68% for waiting time at the bus stop and 70% for punctuality of the bus at the stop.
ShuttleID’s seamless renewal process for annual or term passes, as well as the ability to purchase additional week or return tickets with a simple tap, further enhances convenience, fostering continued usage of the service
Another Transport Focus survey, Information and infrastructure barriers to bus use in Wales, published last month, highlighted the many specific challenges facing operators which are likely reflected across the UK. Customer satisfaction is obviously a crucial consideration for coach and bus operators, then. We spoke to two suppliers for whom enhancing passenger experience is ultimately part of their ethos about the issue.
Ensuring compliance
Compliance with driver and vehicle regulations is clearly essential to the passenger experience. Safety is obviously the number one priority and that means passengers have a right to expect drivers are keeping to their hours and that daily walk-round checks have been completed.
However, as Road Tech Sales Manager Maureen Ballance says, compliance may be taken for granted but it is not something that the passenger is thinking about on their journey.
“For us in the industry, it’s one of the first things we think about, but I don’t think that goes through a passenger’s mind generally,” says Maureen, whose business offers systems and apps which enhance the control of driver and vehicle compliance and improve fleet efficiency and safety.
“I think what they care about is that the vehicle looks roadworthy, that it is clean and tidy, but I don’t think it goes any further than that.”
One of Road Tech’s systems is Tachomaster, which is used by thousands of operators to analyse their tachograph data. Another is Checkmaster, which facilitates instant driver licence checks that can be scheduled.
Meanwhile, PreDrive makes vehicle walk-round checks easy. It also has a maintenance back-end which offers a complete audit trail of the defects of each vehicle, or make of vehicle, through to rectification.
So, what does consciously make a difference to passenger experience, according to Road Tech’s Sales Manager? “It’s not rocket science,” she says.
“If it’s a bus, then it’s cost, the drop-off point’s proximity to your destination and how close it is to home. If it’s a coach, it’s cost, how far away the boarding and drop point is to your destination, and comfort.
“Over and above that, I don’t think you have to worry if you have those things right. You weigh up these things first and, if they are right, you leave the car at home.”
Safety and convenience
In an era where technological advancements are helping transform public transportation, closed-door services such as school buses and staff shuttles have often lagged behind, leaving passengers with a below-par experience.
ShuttleID is on a mission to change this by removing the barriers of cost and complexity that previously made technology inaccessible to some coach and bus operators.
Requiring only a driver app that can run on any phone or tablet device, ticket scanning unlocks the possibility of mobile tickets and printed e-tickets for passengers.
This technology not only offers passengers greater convenience and flexibility but also improves communication and safety measures.
When paired with fast and direct routes of closed-door services, it can create an experience unmatched by public bus services and rail, and even tempt passengers away from the car, believes ShuttleID.
ShuttleID enables operators to offer a wide range of ticket types, including annual, term, flexi, week, return and single, via a digital platform.
Supported payment methods include card, direct debit and vouchers, in addition to fully funded or subsidised travel. This gives passengers the flexibility they desire while granting operators control over flexibility offered.
The convenience of having 24/7 access to a digital ticket, readily available on a phone, or printable at home, ensures passengers always have their pass at hand, removing the possibility of losing a bus pass and being charged for a replacement.
“ShuttleID’s seamless renewal process for annual or term passes, as well as the ability to purchase additional week or return tickets with a simple tap, further enhances convenience, fostering continued usage of the service,” says Chris Bell, ShuttleID Director.
“With delivery of passes being instant, passengers are guaranteed to receive their pass ahead of the start date, relieving the pressure from back-office teams who were previously rushing to print out passes for passengers at peak times.”
Passengers hate it when their bus doesn’t show up on time, but they hate it far more when they’re not informed and when expectations are not managed.
ShuttleID includes live vehicle tracking directly on the passenger’s digital ticket and SMS alerts proactively informing travellers of disruption on their allocated route or booked journeys.
“There’s nothing more annoying for passengers to wait at the bus stop to only see the bus fly past already full with passengers, throwing their plans into chaos,” says Chris.
“Using a system like ShuttleID negates this, as travellers can only book when there is capacity.”
Enhanced safety features, such as vehicle tracking and service alerts, not only facilitate better communication between operators and passengers but also bolster passenger safety, particularly on school bus services.
Parent boarding notifications offer reassurance by automatically notifying parents when their child has safely boarded the bus, easing anxieties and potentially diverting them from personal vehicle use.
Additionally, the real-time collection of detailed passenger data provides invaluable assistance in locating missing children, further enhancing safety measures.
