Passenger Focus has nine months till it begins in earnest its statutory representation of bus passengers. In its current shadow form, it’s already building up its strength (staff in three pilot areas), its research and its involvement with the wider industry. Passenger Focus will be uniquely funded and resourced.
Where does that leave Bus Users UK? The National Federation of Bus Users as was relies largely on sponsorship from the industry itself. First Group has already indicated that it is no longer able to support BUUK, citing the current economic conditions. In the light of the recession and the statutory role of Passenger Focus, might others follow suit? Without such industry sponsorship, BUUK will be weakened to the point that it may need to scale back. It cannot possibly rely solely on the subscription of its membership.
The role for this eclectic body of grass roots bus users isn’t likely to diminish unless Passenger Focus takes over BUUK’s role on the Bus Appeals Body. There are currently no plans to make this body statutorily accountable. Whereas Passenger Focus will undoubtedly widen its mammoth rail market research to include the bus side, it’s unlikely to be geared up to hold the plethora of bus surgeries across the country. These benefit real and regular passengers though occasionally they simply frustrate them (when the answer is “no”). Surgeries are nevertheless patchy. There is no reason why, for example, bus companies and indeed transport authorities cannot undertake this role themselves.
At present, Passenger Focus is using BUUK in partnership. BUUK benefits from a number of senior people with wide bus experience (e.g. Gavin Booth and Stephen Morris). How long will it be before Passenger Focus overtakes and indeed eclipses BUUK?
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Focusing on the Passenger
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3 comments:
Its interesting to see that Passenger Focus appear not to see taking on the bus side as a major change to their organisation. Given the number of passenger journeys by each mode and the far larger number of contacts on the bus side, I expected to see a major revision to PF. Noises from them do not seem to suggest this.
With BUUK, I find them very anti-public sector. I realise that they are funded by operators, but they are very critical of local authorities for not doing more, whilst being generally supportive of operators. Clearly LAs have bus passengers as one of a number of lobby groups, whereas passengers are clearly of prime importance to operators.
PF should be in a better position to lobby LAs at a senior level, whereas I think that BUUK is seen as a group of hobbyists rather than professionals.
The Passenger Focus "board" needs to be completely overhauled if it to adequately reflect passengers.
Current members were appointed to represent rail users - I wonder how many of them use the bus on a regular basis?
Get rid of the "dead wood" and appoint Booth and others to replace them!
I'm not a member of Bus Users UK but I do read their magazine and try to follow what is happening with the organisation. I was shocked to read that First Group have decided not to fund BUUK. This would be the same First Group that made tens of millions of pounds of profits but seems unable to find a few thousand points to support an important organisation?!
I am at a loss as to what Passenger Focus thinks it is going to do for bus passengers by conducting research. There has been plenty of research about what passengers want from their bus services - do we really need more of it? Surely what we want is some action to make things better - regardless of whether it comes with private or public cash? On reflection I am wondering what Passenger Focus has actually achieved on the rail network other than "moaning" on key issues like fares. The much vaunted and Passenger Focus endorsed "rail fare simplification" is nothing of the sort - it's just new sticky labels on all the old restricted and complex tickets.
BUUK is not perfect and can feel a bit "amateurish" at times but at least the people involved use buses and speak from experience. I particularly like the idea of their bus surgeries and wish we had them in London. I even suggested to TfL that they adopt this approach but they were not interested. I think it is a missed opportunity to get free feedback from passengers for little outlay and effort. I think there has to be some concern that BUUK will lose funding and become ineffective with Passenger Focus not being able or wishing to either assist or to fill the gap that is left. The only people who will suffer are bus passengers.
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