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Improving bus service quality and information in Winchester

Improving bus service quality and information in Winchester
Improving bus service quality and information in Winchester
This paper reports the results of a package of measures, contained within a quality bus partnership (QBP), designed to improve bus service quality and information on three city centre routes in Winchester, including the Park and Ride (P&R) service. These measures were implemented by Hampshire County Council, Stagecoach Bus Company and Winchester City Council as part of the EU sponsored MIRACLES project, which ran from 2002 to 2006 and whose aims included reducing the environmental impacts of transport at the local level while increasing urban accessibility.
These measures included the introduction of new buses, increasing the frequency of one of the main city centre bus routes, new bus infrastructure such as new shelters and poles, physical improvements to the bus/rail interchange and the printing of pocket travel maps. In addition, one of the P&R car parks was extended so that the capacity of the scheme was doubled. The objectives of this work package were to contribute to an 8% increase in bus patronage and the satisfaction rating of bus passengers on the QBP routes as well as integrating public transport services more effectively within Winchester.
A review was carried out of bus travel and users’ needs, quality bus partnerships, bus-based P&R schemes and the importance of frequency of service to increasing patronage.
In order to evaluate the effects of these measures, data were collected from the bus operator Stagecoach regarding patronage, reliability and the average age of the fleet. In addition, two bus questionnaire surveys were carried out to assess passenger's views to changes made to these three city centre bus services. An evaluation of the QBP routes was made to see how quickly investments made in purchasing the new buses and extending the P&R car park would be recovered. Conclusions and recommendations have been made with regard to the effectiveness of the changes made to the three bus city centre services as well as their cost effectiveness.
quality bus partnership, park and ride, frequency of service, passenger numbers, patronage, subsidy, lost miles, age of fleet, satisfaction ratings, net present value
0967-070X
165-179
Wall, Graham
1f68f5b7-d1a9-4daf-9440-e7cf49f33606
McDonald, Mike
943ab1e7-1f5a-4e85-bf7e-f90495729b88
Wall, Graham
1f68f5b7-d1a9-4daf-9440-e7cf49f33606
McDonald, Mike
943ab1e7-1f5a-4e85-bf7e-f90495729b88

Wall, Graham and McDonald, Mike (2007) Improving bus service quality and information in Winchester. Transport Policy, 14 (2), 165-179. (doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2006.12.001).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a package of measures, contained within a quality bus partnership (QBP), designed to improve bus service quality and information on three city centre routes in Winchester, including the Park and Ride (P&R) service. These measures were implemented by Hampshire County Council, Stagecoach Bus Company and Winchester City Council as part of the EU sponsored MIRACLES project, which ran from 2002 to 2006 and whose aims included reducing the environmental impacts of transport at the local level while increasing urban accessibility.
These measures included the introduction of new buses, increasing the frequency of one of the main city centre bus routes, new bus infrastructure such as new shelters and poles, physical improvements to the bus/rail interchange and the printing of pocket travel maps. In addition, one of the P&R car parks was extended so that the capacity of the scheme was doubled. The objectives of this work package were to contribute to an 8% increase in bus patronage and the satisfaction rating of bus passengers on the QBP routes as well as integrating public transport services more effectively within Winchester.
A review was carried out of bus travel and users’ needs, quality bus partnerships, bus-based P&R schemes and the importance of frequency of service to increasing patronage.
In order to evaluate the effects of these measures, data were collected from the bus operator Stagecoach regarding patronage, reliability and the average age of the fleet. In addition, two bus questionnaire surveys were carried out to assess passenger's views to changes made to these three city centre bus services. An evaluation of the QBP routes was made to see how quickly investments made in purchasing the new buses and extending the P&R car park would be recovered. Conclusions and recommendations have been made with regard to the effectiveness of the changes made to the three bus city centre services as well as their cost effectiveness.

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More information

Published date: May 2007
Additional Information: Wall G., McDonald M., (2007). "Improving bus service quality and information in Winchester." Transport Policy, 14(2), 165-179
Keywords: quality bus partnership, park and ride, frequency of service, passenger numbers, patronage, subsidy, lost miles, age of fleet, satisfaction ratings, net present value

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 53255
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/53255
ISSN: 0967-070X
PURE UUID: bab71852-3fa7-4dbd-93d6-982451895789

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Date deposited: 21 Jul 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:40

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Author: Graham Wall
Author: Mike McDonald

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