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All across the Great Western territory => Buses and other ways to travel => Topic started by: grahame on March 06, 2019, 07:51:06



Title: Bus Passenger Survey launch event - Bristol, 14 March
Post by: grahame on March 06, 2019, 07:51:06
From https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/news-events-media/news/transport-user-voice-march-2019-bus-passengers-rate-service/

Quote
Transport User Voice – March 2019 – Bus passengers rate their service

Bus Passenger Survey launch event

The latest round of results from the annual Bus Passenger Survey carried out by Transport Focus across England and Scotland will be unveiled in Bristol on Thursday 14 March.

As the location suggests, there will be a focus this year on what passengers say about local bus services across Bristol and the West of England Combined Authority region. This particular city region is a fascinating case study, with passenger numbers up against a backdrop of challenging ‘growing pains’ caused by congestion and the impact on bus services caused by city centre expansion and rebuilding.

Several key speakers will offer their own perspectives on the latest survey results, including James Freeman, managing director at First, West of England, someone from the Department for Transport, a senior representative from the mayor of Bristol’s Transport Board and Robert Pain, senior insight advisor at Transport Focus who leads the work on the Bus Passenger Survey.

Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Transport Focus Board member Rob Wilson.

The event offers a great opportunity to network with people from different authorities and operators around the country.

If you would like to attend, please contact yvonne.fox-burmby@transportfocus.org.uk as soon as possible.

I have been encouraged to post the above, with the comment that there's still plenty of capacity left and it would be really good to have people sign up and attend.


Title: Re: Bus Passenger Survey launch event - Bristol, 14 March
Post by: jamestheredengine on March 06, 2019, 12:01:13
on Thursday 14 March.

Do they assume that bus passengers are all retired and don't have jobs to go to during the week?


Title: Re: Bus Passenger Survey launch event - Bristol, 14 March
Post by: TaplowGreen on March 06, 2019, 12:15:10
on Thursday 14 March.

Do they assume that bus passengers are all retired and don't have jobs to go to during the week?

There are Civil servants/Local Government involved. They don't do weekends.....in fact anytime after 4pm is unlikely, especially on a Friday! 🙂


Title: Re: Bus Passenger Survey launch event - Bristol, 14 March
Post by: grahame on March 06, 2019, 16:34:02
on Thursday 14 March.

Do they assume that bus passengers are all retired and don't have jobs to go to during the week?

There are Civil servants/Local Government involved. They don't do weekends.....in fact anytime after 4pm is unlikely, especially on a Friday! 🙂

I "liked" that ... as it brought a smile to my face.    But actually there are some excellent central and local government folks around who do and will attend meetings outside 9-to-5 Mon-to-Fri.

But you hit a massive problem with planning meetings that involve both working users and 9 to 5 employees who you're inviting to attend as part of their work roll.  I can't offer you a solution, but some examples / thoughts

a) Our forum meet on 9th February - a Saturday - was scheduled on that day of the week through a vote here, but it was a really close run thing and there was no clear winner.  Big "thank you" to Jane Jones for coming along that day - GWR rather than government, but never the less extra appreciated.  For the record, we had invited other (national) bodies with which we are not quite so closely linked but may have been interested, and all four sent encouraging words but apologies.

b) TravelWatch SouthWest has traditionally been on a Saturday too - and we (speaking for the board) have noted a  poor attendance from all but the keenest public sector members.  Whether that's because it's weekend or for other reasons, I don't know.  We also noted that - as per many public transport community groups (and we are a group of groups after all) - we have an embarrassingly more mature age profile than most, with a very high proportion of retired men (yes, gender issue too!).  So we are switching - as an experiment - to a weekday this time - 20th March 2019.  Looking through attendee lists for last October, and speaking with some doubtful people, we established that from / within our TWSW base the experiment was worthwhile.  Fares from within the TWSW area are only a little peak higher (we appreciate that once you hit "the east" it's more for outsiders), and there is actually a better morning train service.  The complementary coach from Bournemouth (back to the Shepton Mallet thread!) which is provided by GoAhead because the train service is so awkward will be running - thank you to GoAhead!

c) Yesterday's meeting in Keynsham was 16:15 to 18:00.  I'm ashamed to say I arrived late - indeed so late that I was even after a gentleman who we always expect to come in late.  Prior commitment in Melksham to 15:15, lack of suitable train thence to Keynsham, bus connections too slow and I drove and got stuck in a gridlock on the top of Bath. Noted that as we approached 18:00, people started to leave - I suspect that was because of evening family commitments.   Good turnout mind, slightly younger and more gender mixed than TWSW.

I have no solution. If others do, please tell me.


Title: Re: Bus Passenger Survey launch event - Bristol, 14 March
Post by: jamestheredengine on March 06, 2019, 21:29:15
on Thursday 14 March.

Do they assume that bus passengers are all retired and don't have jobs to go to during the week?

There are Civil servants/Local Government involved. They don't do weekends.....in fact anytime after 4pm is unlikely, especially on a Friday! 🙂

Not my particular sector, but I quite enjoy my odd Saturday at time and a half or a Sunday at double time. I'd expected that such dedication would have extended to those spending our money too...



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