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Catch the Bus Week – Wi-Fi
most popular bus benefit
ON bus Wi-Fi is proving a hit, with it
coming out top in a survey of what bus users like most about bus. Almost 1 in 4
(23%) of 106 people bus users, surveyed by Capital FM, in Williamson Square,
Liverpool, on Tuesday, 5 July 2016, over 'Catch the Bus Week',
that ran over 4 July to 10 July 2016, said being able to log online was the top
benefit of getting the bus, with more than 1 in 5 (21%) saying comfort, cost or
convenience were the biggest pluses. When asked what would encourage people to
use the bus for leisure purposes, later running evening services and discounted
group travel came out as firm favourites.
Discounted weekly and monthly tickets, frequent services and good connections to
transport interchanges emerged as provisions that would encourage more people to
catch the bus to work.
These survey results support the key priorities in the Liverpool City Region’s
new bus strategy which aims to make the bus a mode of choice, looking at what
can be done to get new people using it and to get people who use it, making more
journeys. The idea is that the more paying people there are using the bus, the
more investment there is to further improve services.
The strategy is being delivered through a formal Bus Alliance between
Merseytravel, Arriva and Stagecoach. The formal agreement is yet to be signed,
but much has been achieved already through the alliance ‘lite’ giving people in
the Liverpool City Region more reasons to try the bus than most:-
► Bus users in the LCR are some of the most satisfied of any major city region
in the UK with an overall satisfaction rating of 89% according to the Transport
Focus Bus Passenger Survey, autumn 2015 Report.
► The LCR has 1 of the best young people’s ticketing offers outside London with
all young people’s tickets now available up to and including 18, including
MyTicket; a £2 any bus, any operator ticket that can be used all day, every day.
► Frequent services; on the busiest routes the majority of daytime services
operate every ten minutes or less with some as frequent as every few minutes.
► Free Wi-Fi and USB charging points are being rolled out on all new buses.
► The ‘Quality Bus Network’ is working to make bus travel more
convenient and quicker on key routes, with more regular buses during the day,
better information and routes where drivers can accept tickets from the other
bus companies operating on that route.
► Walrus sales (tickets on the smartcard) hit the
million mark in February 2016 making it the most active smartcard scheme in any
City Region outside London. Tickets can be used on any buses and be bought at
more than 800 PayPoint outlets.
The 1st 12 months of the Alliance will see a number of initiatives including an
initial £19m investment in greener buses with free Wi-Fi and USB charging
points; the introduction of one point of contact for customer service; new
customer service training for drivers; improved links to John Lennon Airport and
the rail network; the development of a trial 24 hour bus route and the start of
a strategic review to create a simpler, clearer bus network.
Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys; a campaign dedicated to
encouraging people to make more sustainable travel choices, joined Merseytravel,
Arriva and Stagecoach, in Williamson Square, on Tuesday, 5 July 2016, along with
2 double decker buses in an event to mark Catch the Bus Week and with staff on
hand to answer questions and give journey planning advice.
Claire Haigh said:- “Catch the Bus Week is now in its 4th year, and once
again we are delighted to see the entire bus sector coming together to promote
the benefits of the bus. So much of our daily lives depend on the bus; from
getting to school, to work, to the shops and to visiting family and friends and
this week was the perfect time to show the whole of Merseyside the very best of
what buses can offer.”
You can read the Liverpool City Region Bus Strategy here
here. |
