Member Article

90 Percent Of Stagecoach Customers In The North East Satisfied With Bus Services

• 9 in 10 customers across Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley were satisfied with their journeys overall • 89 percent of customers in Tyne & Wear and 88 percent of customers in Tees Valley were satisfied with their on-bus journey time • 80 percent of passengers in Tyne & Wear and 79 percent of passengers in Tees Valley were satisfied with the punctuality of the bus • 77 percent of customers in Tyne & Wear and 72 percent in Tees Valley considered their journey to be value for money

Nine in 10 Stagecoach North East bus customers across Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley are satisfied with their journeys, according to independent research by consumer watchdog Transport Focus.

Passengers travelling with Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator recorded improved satisfaction across a number of areas, including value for money and punctuality.

In Tyne & Wear, the research found that 80 percent of passengers were very or fairly satisfied with the punctuality of their bus, an increase of 8 percent from 2017, and 77 percent thought their journey was value for money, compared to 72 percent in 2017.

Across Tees Valley, the survey showed that 79 percent of passengers were very or fairly satisfied with the punctuality of their bus, an increase of 9 percent from 2017, and 72 percent thought their journey was value for money.

The average satisfaction with value for money for Stagecoach customers in 2018 was 65 percent, and punctuality at 75 percent, with Tyne and Wear well above.

The national picture showed that nine in ten Stagecoach bus customers across England are satisfied with their journeys. The results follow continued significant investment by Stagecoach in new low emissions buses and new technology.

Steve Walker, Stagecoach North East Managing Director, said: “These independent results show we are continuing to deliver a consistently high-quality service for our customers in the North East and are a fantastic endorsement of the hard work of our employees across the region every day.

“We are working hard, in partnership with other operators and local authority partners to provide easier, more affordable and better joined up journeys but we know there is more work required to deliver even better services for our customers.

“To match the industry’s efforts, we desperately need tougher action from local authorities to address the impact of car congestion which is damaging local air quality, slowing bus journey speeds, holding back our economy, and pushing up the cost of transport for local people and can negatively impact the perception of the value of bus travel. Tackling this huge issue will open the doors for a cleaner city and allow bus travel to flourish.”

Stagecoach has made a series of improvements to help transform bus travel for customers, including continued investment in new, greener vehicles, the introduction of contactless payments on all buses, smart, integrated ticketing schemes and a greater focus on customer service through the delivery of more convenient purchasing options and better customer information.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Clapham .