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Focus groups and depth interviews were undertaken with users of National Express, megabus.com, Oxford

Tube and Oxford Espress coach services. This work wascarried out with the full cooperation of the coach operatorsinvolved. Participants included commuter and leisuretravellers, and frequent and infrequent users.

Why passengers use the coach

Participants used the coach because it was significantlycheaper than other modes. Train journeys were generallyconsidered to be expensive, particularly if advance ticketswere not purchased, and car travel could work out expensive once petrol costs and parking charges were

factored in. Participants also mentioned other advantages of travelling by coach: getting a seat is always guaranteed; the seats can be comfortable; coach travel can be a stress-free and relaxing experience; and the time can be used towork or read.

“There’s more hustle and bustle on the train; a coach is quieter and more relaxing.” [Birmingham, infrequent user, 50+ age group]

This combination of cheaper travel costs and the provision of a good service made participants feel they receivedexcellent value for money.

However coach travel is not without its disadvantages:participants talked aboutlonger journey times when compared to othermodes; the possibility ofdelays and breakdowns;food or drink could not be purchased on board;toilets can be unpleasant;and there were concernsabout losing luggage.

“I once travelled with a bag and I was soparanoid the wholejourney, I wanted to get off at every stop and check it was still there.” [Manchester, infrequent user,

18-25 age group]

Background and methodology

In 2010, Passenger Focus’s remit was extended to include bus, coach and tram passenger representation in England, outside London. As part of this new role in March 2011, Passenger Focus wanted to get a betterunderstanding of coach passenger needs and experiences, so it commissioned this preliminary research. This included identifying any improvements which could be made and how complaints were handled.

What passengers

want Independent national passenger watchdog June 2011

Coach Passenger Needs and Experiences

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The research showed there were two main groups ofpeople using the coach. Although all participants chose thecoach because of cost, younger participants and studentstended to view the coach as a short-term option andenvisaged taking the train once their financial circumstancesimproved. Older participants and commuters had made amore proactive decision to use coaches; they were generallymore positive about travelling by coach and intended tocontinue using coaches in the same way.

Why passengers commute by coach

Many participants who commuted had not considered usingthe coach before, most preferring to use the train instead.Coach commuting was often recommended by friends orcolleagues making the same journey. Some participants hadseen advertising for coach fares and others had seen coachesdriving into city centres at peak times and investigated online.Many participants had not been on a coach for a number of years and had a poor perception of coach travel, but when they tried out the coach they were pleasantly surprised.They used the coach a few times to commute first, beforecommitting to regular coach travel.

Planning and booking the journey

Most participants, travelling for leisure purposes, approachedeach journey afresh for planning and booking. Exceptions tothis were participants who regularly made the same journey;they had usually given up on exploring train prices and knewthe coach would be cheaper. Some participants also dislikedtravelling by train; therefore coach travel would be investigatedfirst, and then the train if the coach was not suitable. Forcommuters, minimal consideration was given to the journeyplanning process; they had already been through the thoughtprocess when the decision to commute by coach was taken.

Participants felt there was little to differentiate one coachoperator from another.

“The first time I went to London I got Megabus, so I just get that one now.” [Manchester, infrequent user, 18-25 age group]

Coach Passenger Needs and Experiences

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If given a choice, participants would travel with the operatorthat had the best price and timetable for their journey.

Nearly all participants booked their seat in advance, even if only booking on the day of travel, to ensure they were ableto get a seat. However, some commuters on the Oxford Tubeand Oxford Espress services felt that as coaches were sofrequent, there was no need to book. Those travelling on off-peak services were also less likely to book a ticket in advance,particularly if they had made the journey before and knew itwould be quiet.

“If you book in advance, you know you’re on, you don’t have to wait for the next one.” [Birmingham, infrequent user, 50+ age group]

Many participants used the internet when booking or enquiringabout tickets, saying it was quick, convenient and they feltconfident the information would be accurate. Someparticipants thought it would be useful to have a centralisedbooking service, similar to that of rail.

Participants were somewhat sceptical about the idea of‘flexible tickets’ which may be slightly more expensive, butwould allow an open-ended journey date. The certainty ofgetting a seat was the main reason for booking in advance,and participants were concerned that they would not get onthe coach with a flexible ticket.

“I’d do it on the train, but not on the coach. I’d be worried I’d get there and there wouldn’t be any seats.” [Birmingham, frequent user, 18-25 age group]

However, participants felt a supplement for changing theirticket would be useful, rather than having to buy a new ticket.

Experiences of coach stations and coach stops

Many participants used coach stations because it wasconvenient. Some also felt that by catching the coach at itsdeparture station, they were less likely to miss it, unlike at acoach stop where there were fears of the coach not stopping.Some female participants had safety concerns about usingcoach stops at night.

“I think if you’re a woman travelling alone at night, a coach station is probably better because there’s more people around.” [London, infrequent user, 50+ age group]

Of those participants that did use coach stops, this was downto convenience, such as the stop being closer to their home.

Some participants felt that coach stations were better thanthey used to be, particularly in Birmingham and Manchester,but still compared negatively with train stations which weregenerally thought to have better facilities and policing.

“In the train station there’s always people wanderingaround you can ask for information, but I’ve never seen that in a coach station.” [Birmingham, frequent user, 18-25 age group]

Participants described their ideal coach station as clean,spacious and safe. The station should also have clearinformation about departures, staff available to ask forinformation, seating, police or security, shops and cafes and clean toilets which were available at all times of the day.

Participants felt that coach stops could be improved byhaving real-time information about arrivals and delays, therebyallaying fears they had missed their coach, and sufficientshelter.

“I’d be afraid it would just drive past me, and I’d be left there.” [Manchester, commuter, 26-49 age group]

Boarding the coach

Participants found boarding the coach generallystress-free, although commuter services were felt tobe busy at times. Some participants said the driverwas helpful in assisting with putting their luggage in thehold. However, some did worry about other passengerstaking their luggage. They felt that a luggageidentification system, for example a tag or ticket, would help in this situation.

On board the coach

There were four key factors which contributed to the on-board experience:• Seat comfort: Seats were considered comfortable if they had sufficient width and adequate leg room.Participants preferred leather seats rather than fabric as they were felt to be more hygienic, and some saidthey would prefer seats which reclined more.• Temperature: Participants felt it was important to have a moderate on-board temperature so they felt comfortable.Some felt that the air conditioning/ personal air vents wereineffective and should be improved.• Toilets: Using the toilet on board was usually avoided;participants felt they were too small and cramped and somefeared being locked in. They expressed concerns about the cleanliness of the toilets.• Cleanliness: Generally participants thought that coacheswere clean when they boarded. Some mentioned the amountof litter in seat pockets, which could be addressed byproviding bins or plastic bags for rubbish on long journeys.

“I think bins would be quite useful or at least somewhereto put rubbish because I’ve never noticed anywhere to put litter.” [London, commuter, 26-49 age group]

Other factors were mentioned which also affected the onboard experience:• Free Wi-Fi and plug sockets: Participants who had accessto these facilities on board were very positive about them.They felt they could work or pass the time on their laptop or smartphone. Participants who did not have these facilitieson their service would also like to see them introduced.

• Other passengers’ behaviour: Participants talked aboutirritating behaviour from other passengers such as musicbeing played loudly through headphones, loud mobile phoneconversations, eating smelly food and passengers whoinfringed their personal space. It was felt that signage or

announcements about respecting fellow passengers woulddiscourage some of this negative behaviour.• TV and newspapers were not felt to be a necessity; TVcould not be catered to suit everyone and newspapers were‘nice to have’, but could create litter.• Tables were generally felt to be too small to be useful andparticipants would rarely use them as they would cut into theirpersonal space. Participants thought cup holders would bemore useful, both functional and space saving.

The coach driver

The driver was considered a critical part of the overall coachexperience. An uncomfortable on-board experience could bealleviated by a friendly driver, but a positive on-boardexperience could be spoilt by a rude or unhelpful driver. Themajority of participants had positive experiences of drivers,saying they were friendly, smart, professional and helpful.

“The drivers are always very courteous and nice. Theyseem to make a special effort to welcome you on; youalmost feel like you’re getting into a taxi or something.” [London, infrequent user, 50+ age group]

However many younger participants and students were morenegative towards drivers, spontaneously describing them asrude and unhelpful.

“If I ask them a question and they answer me like I’m a div,I think that’s wrong. It’s their job to help me.” [Birmingham, frequent user, 18-25 age group]

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“The drivers are alwaysvery courteous and nice.They seem to make aspecial effort to welcomeyou on; you almost feellike you’re getting into a taxi or something.”

“If I ask them aquestion and theyanswer me like I’ma div, I think that’s

wrong. It’s their job to help me.”

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The coach journey

Participants felt that coach journeys were usually smooth, but some were frustrated that routes had too many stops,which added to the overall journey time. Some suggestedhaving more direct or express routes, particularly for longerjourneys.

Most participants said they would consider coach journeysof around four to five hours duration; after this the trainbecame a more viable option and the inability to stretch or walk around became a serious disadvantage.

Value for money perceptionsMany participants felt they received good value for money on coach, but this could be further improved by speedierjourneys, fewer stops and some enhancements to theonboard experience. However, poor punctuality and risingprices would have a detrimental effect on value for money andthe coach would then become less competitive than the train.

The complaints process

Complaints appeared to be triggered by situations thatimpacted on participants’ personal time (delays due to driver error, the coach leaves earlier than expected); on thememotionally (the driver was particularly rude or unhelpful, or driving badly); financially (issues with ticket price) or a combination of these.

The complaints process differed between participants;however some examples of good practice emerged fromcoach operators:• The complaint was acknowledged• The coach operator responded quickly• They used a polite and sympathetic tone• They apologised for the situation encountered• Participants received an acceptable outcome (such as an apology or financial compensation).

Satisfaction with complaints handling varied betweenparticipants, but if participants got a satisfactory outcome,

they were less concernedabout a slow process or lack of politeness fromcustomer service staff.However, if participants didnot receive an acceptableresult, how the rest of thecomplaint was dealt withbecame irrelevant. Someparticipants were happy toreceive just a polite response,whereas others wanted more,such as an apology, refundand compensation.

“What makes a satisfyingoutcome? Getting what youwant. You don’t normallycomplain unless you wantsomething, do you?” [London, commuter, 26-49 age group]

continued on back page

Coach Passenger Needs and Experiences

Contact us

© 2011 Passenger Focus

2nd Floor, One Drummond Gate, Pimlico, London SW1V 2QYt 0300 123 0860 w www.passengerfocus.org.uk e info@passengerfocus.org.uk

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Some participants knew who to complain to, whereas otherssaid it took them some time to find the right person to contact.

None of the participants were aware of any coach-specificbodies such as the Bus Appeals Body and Bus Users UK whocould handle appeals. A few said they would have taken theircomplaint further if they had known about them. Those whowere dissatisfied with their complaint outcome gave up at theinitial round of complaining, saying it was not worth the hassle.

For some, the coach journey was not consideredexpensive enough to justify a prolonged complaints process.

“For me an apology wasn’t really sufficient; there was noexplanation, no passion or effort to keep my custom andmake it better. It was just ‘we’re sorry’ and that was it.” [London, frequent user, 26-49 age group]

Recommendations

• One place to compare and book tickets A centralised booking system which allows comparisonbetween different coach operators would enablepassengers to make an informed decision whenplanning and booking a journey. A facility which enabledcoach and rail services to be compared would haveadditional benefits.• More visible staff and police presenceSome participants felt unsafe using coach stations,particularly at night. A greater presence of police orsecurity staff could help address this.• Improve coach stationsThe coach station environment could be improved byhaving more comfortable seating and toilets which areavailable at all times.• Real-time information and shelters at coach stopsCoach stops could be improved by having real-timeinformation about arrivals and delays, therefore allayingfears about missing the coach. A well-publicised freephone number that can be called or texted from mobilesto find out the whereabouts of the coach could alsoaddress this. Coach stops could also be enhanced by having sufficient shelter.• Allay concerns about lost luggageThere were concerns about lost or stolen luggage and some felt that a luggage identification or taggingsystem would help.• Improve journey timesJourney times can be longer than expected because of unforeseen delays and traffic. Better communicationsbetween the driver and base could address this incertain circumstances where the driver could be warnedof delays and take appropriate diversions. Having moredirect services with fewer or no stops would also helpaddress concerns about longer journey times.• Enhance the onboard experienceThe onboard experience could be improved by havingreclining seats, better air conditioning systems anddrinks and snacks available to buy. Other enhancementsinclude announcements about respecting otherpassengers, and plugs and Wi-Fi on all services.• Improve the process for complaintsSome improvements could be made to the existingcomplaints process. Passengers need clearercommunication about who to complain to and how.Coach operators also need to respond in a timelymanner. The role of bodies, such as Bus Users UK andthe Bus Appeals Body should be publicised more, sothat passengers are able to take their complaint further if they have not received a satisfactory response.

• Promote coach travelMost participants spoke positively about their coach travelexperiences and felt the coach offered them excellent value for money. Some participants had also discoveredthe benefits of coach by ‘accident’. This presents a goodopportunity to promote coach travel further and encourageothers to discover its benefits.