This report forms part of the TRRL programme for monitoring bus deregulation, and presents results from two surveys of bus passengers attitudes and opinions of the changes in bus services which took place. The first survey was conducted in the metropolitan areas in early 1987; the second, for comparison purposes, in the non-metropolitan counties of England and Wales in March 1988. The results from the surveys show that, while there were variations from one class of passengers and one area to another, bus users in all PTE areas, of all ages, of all socio-economic groups, and whether car owners or not, thought bus services were generally good but were worse since deregulation, and they used buses less. In the rest of England and Wales, even though fewer bus services changed at deregulation than in the PTE's, rather more bus users thought services had improved than deteriorated, and about the same number used buses more as used them less. (A)
Abstract