BSIP: Ideal Improvements

Some of the ways in which those interviewed feel the bus service can be improved ideally in the long-term, was through a better road system. Many feel that a different road system could work in favour of the buses. For example, several highlight the possibility of bus prioritisation on the roads, with bus corridors to enable buses to bypass traffic and reach their destinations more efficiently. This is considered to be a good way to help buses be faster and more reliable and encourage more people to use the bus.

Comments from interviewees:

“…bus corridors should hopefully come in and take people off out of their cars” (Councillor)

 “There needs to be at least some routes where it’s bus prioritisation” (Councillor)

Several of those interviewed also express the desire for fewer cars to be on the road to reduce congestion for buses. One suggestion is to start charging more for parking in certain areas in order to clear more roads for buses to travel down with greater ease, and reduce the amount of traffic travelling to these areas. This may also encourage residents and visitors to travel by bus if it became more cost-effective to travel this way than to pay for parking.

Comments from interviewees:

“…maybe start charging higher parking charges for areas that we don’t want people to go, because we want to keep vehicles out of the city for a congestion and pollution point of view” (Councillor)

When considering a more ideal ticketing system, beyond integrating single bus tickets across different bus companies, many of those interviewed suggest that they would like to see this stretch across other forms of public transport, such as the trains and ferries. It is suggested that there could be one ticket which covers all forms of public transport for one price. Some of those interviewed mention an Oyster card system, with one card that can be used across trains, ferries and buses making ticketing less complex for passengers making multiple journeys in one day.

Comments from interviewees:

“…all on the one ticket, that’s a tap-on tap-off (…) I think we just need a completely different approach to public transport, so that’s the way to go” (Councillor)

 “I do think if I knew that I was taking buses across the city all day, if I had one ticket, like in London, that would be useful” (Councillor)

Some of those interviewed also feel that, in an ideal bus service, the price of tickets would be much more appealing. For example, either providing everyone with a 50% discount on bus fares, or by making bus tickets completely free.

Comments from interviewees:

“Ideally free for most people” (Pompey Pensioners)

“50% bus pass for everybody. I think if we want to get people out of their cars you have to make it attractive enough that people do that” (Councillor)

When considering the efficiency of bus timetables and schedules as they work currently, several of those interviewed suggest that buses could run on less structured forms of timetabling. For example, they suggest that buses should become more demand responsive, which would prevent buses from either running almost empty at times or being too crowded at other times. This may take the form of passengers booking in journeys when they needed them, and buses could adhere to bookings rather than standard timetables.

Comments from interviewees:

“…like the idea of demand-responsive services, where it’s a bit like a taxi service, a bit like Uber I suppose (…) I think that’s one way bus service is going to go, less timetable and more responding to demand” (Councillor)

“…if it was dial-a-ride, something where you can call up and it’ll take you to a certain location and take you back an hour or so later. So more personally discrete travel models I think work quite well” (Councillor)

Many express the desire for the timetabling of the buses and other forms of transport, like trains, to be more coordinated. This would make it easier for those travelling longer distances to continue their journeys by further public transport, as they could use buses to get to and from the stations easier, rather than calling a taxi for this journey, for example.

Comments from interviewees:

“…likewise with the train, certainly bus services used to be geared to when the trains arrived at Fratton, say. That would be quite useful if something there could be re-instigated.” (Pompey Pensioners)