9 out of 10 passengers are satisfied with public transport services, according to research undertaken on behalf of the National Transport Authority by Kantar MillwardBrown. All services posted very good satisfaction ratings with Luas and Dublin Bus performing particularly well. 19 per cent of passengers give ‘general service’ as the reason for satisfaction, with another 19 per cent attributing their satisfaction to ‘ease and convenience’.
One in four believes the service provided by public transport has improved over the 12-month period, while just less than two-thirds believe it has stayed the same. There was 91 per cent satisfaction with cleanliness of vehicles and 95 per cent satisfaction with personal safety. Safety of driving got a satisfaction rating of 95 per cent.
Public transport apps and websites have an overall satisfaction rating of 85 per cent. This includes TFI’s Real Time Ireland app, the Leap top-up app and the online services and apps provided by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann.
The Dublin Bus app, Leap top up app and Irish Rail website are the most used sources of online public transport information, according to the research.
Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA, said: “The figures we are releasing today show that public transport customers are very satisfied with the overall level of service that they get on their buses, trains and trams.
“We will not be complacent about this, however. Public transport operates in busy cities, across country roads and connects people across the country, and provides challenges every day. The needs and expectations of customers are central considerations for the ten thousand-plus people working in public transport right across Ireland.
“It must be acknowledged that the transport operators have stepped up to the mark in this regard. They have proved to be increasingly responsive to customer needs and while the provision of transport services is always a very complex undertaking, it is clear that more than ever before, they are anticipating and meeting customer expectations in a very demanding environment. “This research shows that customers are responding positively to that. “The findings have also revealed the areas where customers are less satisfied and this will inform the NTA’s work programme with operators.”
Anne Graham concluded by saying that this is the first all-operator customer satisfaction survey carried out by the National Transport Authority. It will be repeated on an annual basis, and the Authority has committed to publishing the results and the trend data on an on-going basis.
Full details of research:
NTA Customer Satisfaction Survey Findings
NTA Customer Satisfaction Survey Infographic
Methodology
Conduct surveys of users of public transport to assess their level of satisfaction with service provision at an overall level and across a range of key metrics. Following a pilot phase in April 2017 we have focused on asking customers about their experience of usage “in general” rather than a specific journey.
•Face to face interviews with people aged 16+. Respondents recruited at stops/stations located throughout the country as they are waiting to board or alighting public transport services – interviews conducted using tablets with pre-programmed survey script.
•A total sample of 2,516 customers were interviewed, consisting of the following:
−Dublin Bus n=408
−Luas n=301
−Irish Rail InterCity and Commuter n=393
−DART n=202
−Bus Éireann n=925
−Private coaches n=287
•Data for the all public transport section has been weighted to reflect the number of passenger journeys. The all public transport data includes data for all modes of transport, excluding private buses.
•Fieldwork was conducted from early October until mid-November. No interviews for Irish Rail or DART were conducted during days of industrial action (1st and 7th November).
•We have weighted results for overall public transport by passenger numbers from the Authority’s website; this figure excludes results for private coaches.