Bus journeys need to be improved and the Government needs to provide national leadership and support to help ensure they are.
Journeys need to be improved
We’d like to see the following. If you would too, why not support our work or help us campaign?
Bus services need to be:
Bus services need to have:
Buses should be supported by:
Some bus services are meeting many of these requirements; many more should be.
Government should set minimum standards
The Government should set minimum standards for bus operators and local authorities. For example:
A passenger watchdog for bus users should be created
We need an independent, statutory, government-funded passenger watchdog for bus users. The bus industry was the only utility to be privatised without the parallel creation of a passenger watchdog. While there is a bus appeals body already, it is funded and hosted by the bus industry.
A watchdog would deal with bus users' concerns about fares, frequencies, timetables, accessibility, journey times, security, vehicle standards and information. Traffic Commissioners (the regulator for the bus industry) need more staff and funding so they can take effective action on these issues.
In October 2007, 14 other organisations joined us in calling on the Government to create a passenger watchdog.
Local campaigners are doing a great deal to improve bus services -- often with success! Find local campaigners in your area.
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Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a charity (1101929) and a company limited by guarantee (4943428)