1 Christopher Irwin Vice-Chair EUROPEAN METROPOLITAN TRANSPORT AUTHORITIES (EMTA) General Meeting Budapest, 15 th April, 2010 Passengers’ priorities and the draft regulation on Bus & Coach Passengers’ Rights

2 EPF map March member associations in 18 states

3 Let’s start with the passengers What do they want? What do we know? What is the evidence?

Satisfaction with 19 goods and services markets in EU Source: Second consumer scoreboard, DG Sanco; IPSOS consumer satisfaction survey, 2006 and 2008

Indicators of drivers of passenger satisfaction with urban transport: Based on pilot survey work with 11 focus groups by INRA/Deloittes for DG Sanco, 2004 DEFRUKITESPLHUCZ PunctualXXXXXXX PricesXXXXXXXX Clear tariffs/ Easier ticketing XXXXXX SpeedXXX InformationXXXXX CleanlinessXXXX ComfortXXXX Technical maintenance No strikes X XXX NetworkXXXXX Safety and Security XXXXXX

Drivers of rail passenger satisfaction Source: Passenger Focus, National Passenger Surveys, Great Britain, 2009

Drivers of rail passenger dis-satisfaction Source: Passenger Focus, National Passenger Surveys, Great Britain, 2009

Bus passengers’ priorities for improvement Source: Passenger Focus, England outside London, More buses are within five minutes of scheduled time 2.Buses more frequent at times when you want to use them 3.All passengers are able to get a seat 4.Tickets interavailability between companies 5.Buses go to a wider range of destinations in your local area 6.Bus fares, tickets and passes offer better value for money 7.All bus drivers are helpful and have a positive attitude 8.Accurate timetable and route information at all bus stops 9.Interavailability of tickets between modes 10.All bus stops have a well-maintained shelter 11.Better security while waiting for the bus with CCTV at all stops 12.Electronic display showing time of next bus at all bus stops 13.Better security onboard the bus with CCTV on all buses 14.The correct route number and destination is clearly displayed 15.All buses drive at an appropriate speed and are free from jolting

Fare-paying passengers’ priorities for improvement, England outside London Source: Passenger Focus, Great Britain, More buses on time or within 5’ of right time 2.Price of tickets to offer excellent value 3.Buses to run more frequently at times wanted 4.Interavailability of tickets between companies 5.Passengers always able to get a seat

Fare-paying passengers’ priorities for improvement, England compared to London Source: Passenger Focus, Great Britain, 2010; London TravelWatch, More buses on time or within 5’ of right time – More buses on time or within 5’ of right time 2.Price of tickets to offer excellent value – Buses to run more frequently at times wanted 3.Buses to run more frequently at times wanted – Electronic display showing next bus at all stops 4.Interavailability of tickets between companies – Correct number and destination displayed 5.Passengers always able to get a seat – All bus drivers helpful and have a positive attitude

The virtuous circle of user satisfaction ValueReliabilityQualitySecurityInformation

What’s this got to do with passengers’ rights? Fair dealing is good for business End-to-end journeys: reflect co-modality Operators want a ‘level playing field’ Consumers value consistent regulations Protect the most vulnerable Satisfaction as a measure of policy success Tackle poor performance Incentivise improved punctuality

What’s wrong with the draft Regulation? Limited scope: most services exempted Failure to address needs of regular passengers Essential infrastructure investment denied Passengers still exposed in event of accidents Inadequate compensation and assistance Delays to arrival discounted Onward connections not assured Monitoring of complaints and transparency

Effective passenger rights Are they: Relevant ? Understandable? Publicised ? Accessible ? Enforced ? Monitored ?

What is to be done? A Parliamentary challenge to the Council: co- modal rights (as long as proportionate to issue) Enable investment in telematics to keep passengers informed when things go wrong A clear framework timetable for implementing changes to vehicles, etc A voluntary code and Charters, with potential for legislative enforcement if ineffective

The European challenge Increasing passenger satisfaction with bus and coach services, so that users have better, greener choices within and between modes, whatever their journey

Thank you !