PASSENGER satisfaction on Morebus’ buses is among the highest in the country, according to independent watchdog Transport Focus. 

Ninety per cent of those travelling on buses in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole – mostly made up of Morebus buses – were satisfied with their services. 

Residents were satisfied with the value for money, punctuality, waiting times and bus drivers, the survey results found. 

Overall journey satisfaction in the conurbation was ranked second nationally, only just being beaten by bus services in the East Riding of Yorkshire – also at 90 per cent. 

Bournemouth Echo:

Andrew Wickham, Morebus managing director, said he was pleased by the result, describing it as a “testament to the tremendous efforts” of the Morebus team. 

He said: “Our operation expanded considerably in 2022, following the demise of Yellow Buses, and it would not have been possible to achieve such a successful transition without a huge amount of talent, dedication and hard work. My colleagues have this in abundance.  

“We have made significant investment in new buses over recent years, and we have a close working partnership with the local authorities, which ensures our customers continue to enjoy a reliable, safe and high quality service here. 

“Of course, we don’t intend to rest on our laurels. There is always more we can do to make travelling with us an even more pleasurable experience.  

“We accept that bus speeds across the BCP area are slow, due to high levels of traffic and congestion. 

“We are working with the council to introduce bus priority measures, which will speed up our services considerably. 

“This latest Transport Focus survey will also help us work to identify any further areas of improvement.” 

Punctuality in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was the highest rating across the country at 86 per cent. West Midlands had the worst at 62 per cent. 

David Sidebottom, director Transport Focus, added: “As congestion continues to bite, government, bus operators and local authorities must work together so that passengers see the improvements in reliability, journey times and better value for money fares promised in the national bus strategy. 

“We’ll be using the results from this survey as a benchmark for local transport authorities and bus operators to drive improvements and attract more people onto buses.”