Cahm – HAVE THE BUSES CAUGHT UP 1991

Description

This 1991 review finds passenger information on local buses became inconsistent and often inadequate following 1985 deregulation. While local initiatives (e.g., Durham stop displays, Brighton’s Bus Times) boosted patronage, deregulation created delays and inefficiencies in Traffic Commissioner registrations, legal and commercial barriers from the Office of Fair Trading that discourage joint timetabling, fragmented ownership and tendering that blur publicity responsibilities, and severe financial pressure on operators. Operators promote their own services but resist publishing competitors’ timetables. Local authorities and PTAs hold fuller registration and tendering data and are better placed to provide comprehensive, up-to-date information, but provision varies widely. Surveys show most buses display route numbers but few show intermediate stops; many stop timetables are incomplete, out-of-date or illegible, especially in rural areas; service changes are often poorly publicised. Technology and phone/radio services offer potential but are costly. The report recommends clearer legal duties, improved registration procedures, OFT guidance to permit cooperative timetables, funded local-authority responsibility for coordinated publicity, and better resourcing of Traffic Commissioners.