Last week, the UK’s Bus Centre of Excellence hosted a webinar exploring the need for a National Bus Stop Standard, as called for in Campaign for Better Transport’s (CBT) recent report.
The report, entitled ‘Better Bus Stops: Creating a national bus stop standard,’ showcases research underlining how poorly maintained bus stops discourage people from using the service.
The presented research indicates that key improvements could encourage people to travel by bus more frequently. For example, 52 percent of survey respondents stated that they would use buses if more stops were equipped with better information.
Notably, Michael Solomon Williams, Head of Campaigns at Campaign for Better Transport argued that such improvements would improve parity with rail and tram services. Standards for rail stations are already incorporated into franchising and operating contracts, even for rural stations with limited services and small patronage. Positively, recent standards will also mandate the provision of live information onboard buses; however, without similar standards for bus stops, the overall public transport experience remains inconsistent.
This lack of standardisation for bus stops leads to key inadequacies. According to Campaign for Better Transport’s research:
- Half of survey respondents said their nearest bus stop has a shelter
- 16 percent have up-to-date maps of routes in the area
- 31 percent have an up-to-date timetable
- 16 percent have access to live updates about bus arrivals
These shortfallings negatively impact the travel experience. What’s more, Robert Davis, Business Development Manager at Trueform emphasised that bus stops are a crucial element of what people see, as the shelter is the ‘shop window’ of the bus service. Without any kerb appeal, poorly maintained shelters thus represent a major point of failure in encouraging bus travel.
This standpoint is supported by CBT’s survey results, revealing that 23% of people are currently put off using the bus by poorly maintained bus shelters.
A National Standard for Bus Stops
To combat this point of failure, Campaign for Better Transport is calling for a National Bus Stop Standard.
As the UK has ~22,000 bus stops, CBT has proposed a categorisation system for different stops to determine the level of service that must be provided. This system aims to ensure that a reasonable standard is attainable across all points of a network.
- Category 1: Bus stations and termini
- Category 2: Main centres and major interchanges
- Category 3: Community centre bus stops, with one main stop designated in each community
- Category 4: Smaller stops, including ‘hail and ride’ locations
The new standard would ensure that all bus stops across these categories have:
- Clearly visible bus stop signage with stop name, route numbers and who operates the route(s)
- Up-to-date timetable information
- Information about any connecting services and where to catch them
- Real-time bus arrival information (except for ‘hail and ride’ stops)
- A programme of regular cleaning, repair and maintenance
Larger bus stops would also have additional amenities such as covered seating and a map showing the wider bus network. Category 1 stops would be required to have bus and rail departure information screens, information and assistance points, and toilets.
Delivering a National Standard
To deliver this standard, Campaign for Better Transport has acknowledged several necessary components:
- National Guidance
- Local Audits
- Funding
- Gradual Upgrades
- Accessibility Considerations
- Responsible Procurement
Arguably, the proposal is already on-track to address several of these factors. During the webinar, Michael Solomon Williams stated that the proposal has been positively received and welcomed by the Department for Transport (DfT). The Bus Services Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will give power for statutory guidance to improve accessibility and safety at bus stops. A National Bus Stop Standard could thus be a key component of this legislation.
After securing this over-arching guidance from the DfT, Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Campaign for Better Transport acknowledged that local authorities would have to oversee the delivery in their respective areas. Successful implementation will therefore depend on local authorities embracing the framework, securing funding, and ensuring a phased but committed approach to upgrading bus stop infrastructure.
If delivered, this investment could transform the bus travel experience, improving accessibility and passenger confidence. By setting clear expectations for infrastructure and information provision, it could help bring bus stops in line with the standards already seen in rail and tram services. With well-maintained, informative, and accessible bus stops, more people may choose the bus, supporting greener and more sustainable transport networks nationwide.
Read the full report from Campaign for Better Transport here.
