Two thirds of Scots unhappy with their bus services

While frequency and punctuality are among the most common complaints, 58% of respondents also feel their local bus service offers poor value for money, and there were concerns too about safety, cleanliness, and the quality of fare information.

The survey took the views of over 4,600 people across Scotland. The results are broken down by Local Authority area as well as providing a national picture.

The Scotland-wide figures show that:

• 64% are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied by the frequency of scheduled services.
• 56% feel the same about the punctuality of their buses (i.e. those services that do exist are often late).
• 58% feel that their local buses offer poor value for money.
• 60% think fare information is not good enough.
• Nearly one third (32%) say the buses are not clean enough or are in poor condition.
• 46% say they are not given enough time to sit down
• 16% say there is no bus service to their local hospital or GP.

Publishing the research, CAS Chief Executive Derek Mitchell said: “Public transport is a social justice issue. People deserve a bus service that is reliable, affordable and pleasant to use, yet it is clear from this research that Scotland’s buses often fail to meet these standards.

“We undertook this survey because we wanted to give consumers a voice. I’d like to thank the more than 4,600 people who took part in the survey. The responses came from all parts of Scotland but there was a notably high rate from people in rural areas, where problems like bus infrequency are often more acute.

“Having gathered this data, we will now be meeting with bus companies, local authorities and the Scottish Government to find ways of addressing these issues. Our objective here is to create better journeys for the people who rely on bus services.”