Campaign for Better Transport: Call for national standard for bus stops as report reveals just a third of people have a timetable at their nearest stop

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 00:01

A new report launched today (3 December) by Campaign for Better Transport has revealed that just a third of people have an up-to-date timetable at their nearest bus stop and even fewer have real-time information, creating a real barrier to using the bus. Campaign for Better Transport's Better Bus Stops: Creating a national bus stop standard reveals that whilst 86 per cent of people live within a ten-minute walk of their nearest bus stop, almost of quarter (23 per...Request free trial

Campaign for Better Transport's Better Bus Stops: Creating a national bus stop standard reveals that whilst 86 per cent of people live within a ten-minute walk of their nearest bus stop, almost of quarter (23 per cent) are put off using the bus because of poorly maintained bus shelters:

Only half of survey respondents said their nearest bus stop has a shelter
Just 16 per cent have up-to-date maps of routes in the area
Only 31 per cent have an up-to-date timetable
Just 16 per cent have access to live updates about bus arrivals.

Yet the report found simple improvements – like an up-to-date legible timetable - would encourage people to travel by bus more frequently with more than half (52 per cent) of people saying they would use buses more if they had better information at bus stops.

To address the issues around poor bus stops and help encourage more people to use the bus, Campaign for Better Transport is calling for a National Bus Stop Standard which would require all bus stops to provide specific facilities and information as a minimum.

Silviya Barrett from Campaign for Better Transport said: "People are put off using buses by poorly maintained bus stops and a lack of readily available timetable information about routes and services. The Government could kick start its 'bus revolution' by introducing a national standard for bus stops which prioritises accessibility, safety, comfort and up-to-date information. Our report found that whilst there is plenty of good practice going on, there are also far too many poorly managed bus stops, lacking basic information to give people confidence to catch the bus. There already exists a national standard for railway stations and for information on board buses, so why not at bus stops too?"

Campaign for Better Transport's National Bus Stop Standard would ensure that all bus stops have as standard:

Clearly visible bus stop signage with stop name, route numbers and who operates the route(s)
Up-to-date timetable information
Information about any connecting services and where to catch them
Real-time bus arrival information (except for ‘hail and ride' stops)
A program of regular cleaning, repair and maintenance.

In addition, all larger bus stops (those at bus stations and termini; in main centres and major interchanges; and those serving as the main community bus stop) should also have covered seating and a map showing the wider bus network with information about connecting services and where to catch them.

Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the Department of Transport (DfT), in conjunction with the devolved nations' departments responsible for transport, to adopt its National Bus Stop Standard and embed it in regulation like the existing standard for accessible information on board buses. The transport charity suggests that funding to implement a National Standard for Bus Stop Infrastructure and Information across Great Britain's network of more than 400,000 bus stops should come from the central government grants provided to local transport authorities for local bus services.

Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK, said: "We need to have standardised requirements for all bus stops and bus stop information, including signs for hail and ride sections. Bus travel should be as easy to navigate and as accessible as possible to encourage more people to get on board."

Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations at CPT, said: "Bus operators welcome this vital opportunity to help local authorities deliver consistent, high-quality bus stops across the network, which will attract more passengers and result in better journeys. Local authorities should consider the door-to-door experience of passengers and guarantee that the infrastructure around bus stops is accessible and safe, including for passengers with mobility restrictions. Meeting national standards must not come at the expense of the day-to-day operation of buses; operators therefore support the proportionate approach of the 4-grade system which will help ensure that the most frequently used stops are given the greatest investment."

Jonathan Morley, CEO of Trueform, said: "The bus shelter is the shop window for the bus service, a powerful marketing platform. Highly visible, shelters are the first and last touch point on the bus journey. The 'customer experience' begins and ends with the bus shelter. Investment in high quality roadside infrastructure is essential to transform customer perceptions and experiences of bus travel, which is proven to increase ridership and fare box revenues."

Read Better Bus Stops: Creating a national bus stop standard.

ENDS

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk.

Notes to Editors

Campaign for Better Transport proposes that all bus stops should be grouped into one of four categories with specific features as standard depending on the category of stop:

Information and infrastructure provision standards for bus stops	Bus stop category**
	1	2	3	4
A. Enclosed waiting shelter with seating	*
B. Covered shelter with seating		*	*
C. Bus stop flag with stop name, routes numbers, destination and branding	*	*	*	*
D. Printed timetable of arrival times for bus routes serving the station	*	*	*	*
E. Map of local bus stops and route network	*	*	*
F. Paper leaflet with a full route timetable for routes serving the station, in a standard format	*	*
G. Real-time next bus information display	*	*	*
H. Link to online and downloadable real time passenger information via a weblink or QR code	*	*	*	*
I. Information about connecting services	*	*
J. Directions to connecting stops (if not the same shelters)	*	*
K. Clear signage to interchange(s) with other modes	*	*
L. Bus and rail departure information screens (where rail and bus services are co-located)	*
M. Information and assistance point	*
N. Toilets	*
O. Cycle parking	*
P. Programme for regular cleaning, inspection and maintenance	*	*	*	*
Q. Contract for repair and maintenance	*	*	*	*

**Category 1: Bus stations and termini; Category 2: Main centres and major interchanges; Category 3: Community centre bus stops (one main stop to be identified in each community); and Category 4: Smaller (‘hail and ride') bus stops.

For this report, Campaign for Better Transport commissioned Yonder to conduct an omnibus survey of 1,081 Great British adults. The online fieldwork was carried out on 18 and 19 September 2024.