Stagecoach East are in the process of gaining feedback from their busway passengers regarding 'audio stop announcements' at each bus stop.
As noted in an earlier posting on this blog, Stagecoach have also been introducing visual stop information on routes A and B. The survey is seeking passengers' opinions on 'visual stop display' too.
If you complete a survey form and provide your name and contact details, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win up to a month's free travel.
Showing posts with label passengers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label passengers. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Busway statistics
Today's Hunts Post ( 27 February, page 2) reveals that the busway has now been used by 4 million passengers and they are expecting traffic to rise by another 500,000 this year. 2013 is expected to see 3 million passenger journeys. Councillor Ian Bates is quoted as saying: 'Four million passengers are proof that people are choosing the busway over other methods of transport'.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Passenger accident on guided bus
Recently there was an incident which could have happened on any bus, but I mention it on this blog because it happened at St Ives Park & Ride on a guided bus.
As a man and woman were climbing the stair to the upper deck, the bus moved off from the stop. The man slipped on the stairs and fell against the woman, who broke her leg as a result. The incident is being investigated by Stagecoast East and they are looking at CCTV footage to see if anything could be done to prevent a recurrence. See Huntingdon & St Ives News & Crier (1 November , page 15).
Bus passengers are vulnerable on other ways. For example, local buses are not required to have seat belts. If a bus is full and people are standing, you can be flung around if the bus stops suddenly or changes direction. It used to be recommended by some bus companies that, when alighting, you don't leave your seat until the bus has stopped - this practice, of course, if taken to its extreme would extend stop times, and slow down overall journey times.
As a man and woman were climbing the stair to the upper deck, the bus moved off from the stop. The man slipped on the stairs and fell against the woman, who broke her leg as a result. The incident is being investigated by Stagecoast East and they are looking at CCTV footage to see if anything could be done to prevent a recurrence. See Huntingdon & St Ives News & Crier (1 November , page 15).
Bus passengers are vulnerable on other ways. For example, local buses are not required to have seat belts. If a bus is full and people are standing, you can be flung around if the bus stops suddenly or changes direction. It used to be recommended by some bus companies that, when alighting, you don't leave your seat until the bus has stopped - this practice, of course, if taken to its extreme would extend stop times, and slow down overall journey times.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Busway facilities for passengers who are blind
The bus companies which run services on the busway have been criticised for not providing audible announcements of stops on the busway for the benefit of passengers who are blind. See article in Cambridge News.
A letter in repsonse to this was published in the Cambridge News ( 6 November, page 12). It is from a swavesey resident whose sight is good, but still has difficulty signs at bus stops, especially at night or when the windows are misted up. His friend from London was astonished that our expensive transport system did not have illuminated signs to indicate the next stop. Regarding audible announcement of stops, the writer says that any small increase in noise due to such announcements would be 'vastly outweighed by their usefulness'.
Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, has given his support to the campign to have announcements of bus stops made compulsory. See Cambridge News, 7 November, page 5.
A letter in repsonse to this was published in the Cambridge News ( 6 November, page 12). It is from a swavesey resident whose sight is good, but still has difficulty signs at bus stops, especially at night or when the windows are misted up. His friend from London was astonished that our expensive transport system did not have illuminated signs to indicate the next stop. Regarding audible announcement of stops, the writer says that any small increase in noise due to such announcements would be 'vastly outweighed by their usefulness'.
Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, has given his support to the campign to have announcements of bus stops made compulsory. See Cambridge News, 7 November, page 5.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Busway survey report
One reason the busway got funding was because it was hoped it would attract people out of their cars, and specifically people would switch from driving on the A14 to using the bus.
Cambridgeshire County Council has recently published a report which claims that the busway has taken 600,000 car journeys off the A14. See the Cambridge News website for more details of what the report says.
There is a link to the busway survey report here.
Cambridgeshire County Council has recently published a report which claims that the busway has taken 600,000 car journeys off the A14. See the Cambridge News website for more details of what the report says.
There is a link to the busway survey report here.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Bus passenger survey
Yesterday I was given a 'Bus Passenger Survey' form during my morning jurney to work.
The survey was being oconducted by Passengerfocus - the official, independent consumer organisation that represents bus passengers across England, except London. It also represents rail passengers. I was not sure at whose behest this survey was being carried out on the busway - but the Passengerfocus website indicates that Passengerfocus regularly samples bus passenger opinion in different parts of the country. Click here to see the results of previous surveys, the latest being March 2012.
As luck would have it, the journey about which I filled in the survey form, was running about 12 minutes late, and was grossly overcrowded. So some of my responses leaned towards the 'not very satisfied' end of the spectrum.
This is clearly a different survey from the one Stagecoach were recently conducting as regards the morning peak hour overcrowding.
Has anyone else been offered a Passengerfocus survey form?
The survey was being oconducted by Passengerfocus - the official, independent consumer organisation that represents bus passengers across England, except London. It also represents rail passengers. I was not sure at whose behest this survey was being carried out on the busway - but the Passengerfocus website indicates that Passengerfocus regularly samples bus passenger opinion in different parts of the country. Click here to see the results of previous surveys, the latest being March 2012.
As luck would have it, the journey about which I filled in the survey form, was running about 12 minutes late, and was grossly overcrowded. So some of my responses leaned towards the 'not very satisfied' end of the spectrum.
This is clearly a different survey from the one Stagecoach were recently conducting as regards the morning peak hour overcrowding.
Has anyone else been offered a Passengerfocus survey form?
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Poor customer care
The Cambridge News reports that a bus driver refused to allow a passenger to board a guided bus at St Ives Park & Ride. Apparently the bus "had technically left" the Park & Ride, and stopped again so that the driver could speak to another driver. Stagecoach says that the driver should have explained "the situation" to the would-be passenger.
Cambridge News, 5 March 2012
Monday, 31 October 2011
Pushing on with the busway
The News & Crier ( 27 October, page 42) records that the busway was achieved 430,000 passenger journeys in its first two months - 224,000 in month 1 and 209,000 in month 2. The County Council's business case for the busway expected 150,000 a month during the first year building to 300,000 a month after 3 years. These statistics have given rise to calls for segregated bus lanes in Cambridge, express bus services and links to other communities. Councillor Harrison notes that Phase 2 included getting the busway into Huntingdon. Councillor Lucas, representing Warboys, a large village to the north of St Ives, asked for relief buses to deal with rush hour overcrowding. An express service between St Ives and Huntingdon was called for by Councillor Kadic.
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