The value of the bus to society
Oct-2016
Report advocating for policy and investment in bus transport, aiming to demonstrate the societal improvements it can induce. The report uses research from KPMG and the Institute from Transport Studies, which claims that for every £1 of investment in local bus services, £7 can be delivered in net economic benefit. Furthermore, the research notes the existing benefit buses provide, such as: being the primary mode of accessing city centres, getting 3.5 million people into work and allowing for the creation of more than £64bn worth of goods and services.
Building a world class bus system for Britain
May-2016
Report containing a variety of recommendations towards making significant improvements to Britain's bus services. Report ultimately recommends: requiring local transport authorities (LTAs) to make improvements to bus services, giving LTAs to re-regulate bus services, to encourage franchising agreements, to encourage efficient and fair industrial relations, to allow the creation of competitive municipal bus providers, to expand the role of LTAs, and to improve bus funding via increased spending, streamlining and devolution.
The 'True Value' of local bus services
Jul-2017
Study considering the value for money of local bus services, evaluating types of bus intervention (i.e. concessionary use, bus service operator grant) to determine, using a consistent framework, an assessment of these policies from a environmental, social and economic value perspective. Report concludes that investment in bus services provides significant value, both for other road users, and wider communities. Additionally, the report advocates for investment in interventions which improve the attractiveness of public transport via fare reductions or service improvements.
How people respond to the experience of bus travel and the implications of bus travel and the implications for the future of bus services
May-2019
Literature review into the social-emotional experience of bus travel and on the experience of different socio-demographic groups. Key findings include that bus users have a more positive perception than non-users, the bus experience of those with learning disabilities, mobility impairments and mental health issues is not as understood issues for those with sensory impairments, females have a more negative view than males, school children describe the bus as fun, teenagers have concerns over cost, fleet quality, service provision and attitudes of drivers and other passengers towards them, and urban passengers have a more positive attitude towards the bus.
How bus users spend their journey time
Nov-2019
Report into how passengers spend their time on buses, and how this may influence satisfaction and possibility of future use. The report suggests that people value the way they spend their journey, therefore the bus industry should invest in the marketing and design of their buses.
Dream Ticket? The challenges and opportunities of delivering smart ticketing in the city regions
Nov-2022
Report investigating challenges and opportunity in smart ticketing for transport projects. The report highlights challenges such as: the high number of solutions - each having advantages and disadvantages - producing a complex landscape for procurers, lack of affordability for the systems, lack of standards means multi-operator/modal systems can be challenging to produce. The report highlights willingness to engage and understand of the importance of smart ticketing by operators, central and local government as key opportunities for smart ticketing.
The Economic Impact of Local Bus Services
Sep-2024
Research into the value produced by bus services in the UK. Reviews economic value in the provision of bus services, value derived from people using the bus in terms of direct benefits to passengers and other road users and value generated from the activities of passengers making use of bus services to spend their money.