Capes – USING BUS STOPS IN COUNTY DURHAM 1991

Description

Andrew Capes examines bus-stop use and passenger information in County Durham, arguing that stops and on-site timetable information are vital to encouraging bus travel but were neglected after the 1984–85 deregulation. Because legislation failed to set quality standards or assign clear responsibility, stops suffer vandalism, poor design and inconsistent information provision, with multiple bodies sometimes sharing hardware responsibilities. County Durham ran a proactive timetable-case programme and conducted identical surveys in 1985, 1987 and 1989. Results showed high reliance on stop-based information—many residents could identify and frequently used timetable cases—and that 11–15% of the population made journeys they otherwise would not have because of such information, generating modest additional revenue at low cost. Capes warns that without a legally assigned duty and stable funding, local programmes are vulnerable; from 1990 Durham’s maintenance deteriorated, cases faced removal, and the likely outcome is fewer passengers and higher subsidy needs.