French – WHEN DOES THE BUS RUN 1991

Description

At a Centro-organised national conference in Birmingham (January 15, 1991), Roger French, General Manager of Brighton & Hove Bus & Coach Company, described the company’s initiative to produce a comprehensive, multi-operator bus timetable. Citing retailing and listings magazines as examples of customer-focused information provision, French explained that local research showed passengers wanted a single timetable booklet covering all operators. Brighton & Hove launched Bus Times in October 1987 with biannual updates (May and October) and expanded it to include other local companies and the County Council in October 1988. The company also operates a One Stop Travel sales outlet in Brighton and a telephone enquiry service offering information across operators. French argued that proactive, helpful information and customer care converts users into loyal customers, and positioned comprehensive timetabling as a strategic response to passenger needs