Views sought on bus services
Public transport users are being asked for their views on bus services.
The transport partnership ZetTrans and Shetland Islands Council have launched the week-long online survey today.
SIC director of development services, Neil Grant, said: “The survey is designed to collect details about passenger journeys to ensure that any decisions made in relation to the level of services provided are well informed and I would encourage as many people as possible to complete it.”
The survey comes just over a month after the council abandoned plans to award 288 new bus contracts for school and public services. It had been hoped the move would save the council money but the change of heart came when it was realised the tenders submitted were more than the council could afford.
Instead existing contracts were extended until the end of March.
The online survey can be accessed here, until 5pm on Tuesday 13 August.
Anyone unable to access the online survey, should contact SIC Transport Planning Service on 01595 744735.
Jane Beer
That has got to be one of the poorest quality surveys I’ve ever had the misfortune to try to complete. Some of us use multiple bus routes to multiple destinations for multiple reasons. It is so nice to realise that whomever wrote it does not use bus services in Shetland or have any experience of putting together surveys.
Johan Adamson
Are there paper versions available? I dont think all of the bus users will have access to the on line survey
Harry Dent
Have to agree, it’s a poor survey – no understanding from the designer that those of us who have no access to a car need the bus for many different journeys at many different times of day. Concentrating on one journey might give you a snaphshot of bus usage, but you won’t understand what it is that youre seeing.
Karen Hall
Agree – this is a very poor survey. Will not allow you to input same reasons for different times, limited free text and no understanding of the different reasons why folks are using the bus service. No mention of folks wanting to be ‘green’, minimise car use, save money on fuel costs etc. I’d be very surprised if useful information could be obtained from this
Stewart Mac
i must be too cynical, i wonder if the reason for the poor quality survey is for exactly the reason Karen suggests. To try and ensure useful information is not obtained and in one fell swoop allow the Council to justify whatever decision it is thats favoured by the officials. I’ll give you a clue – there will be cuts, of that we can be sure.
Bill Smale
Whoever dreamed up this survey should get out of the office and get on the bus to talk to the people who use the service. The survey asks a series of silly questions but gives no space for people to raise their own issues or state their concerns about issues such as the proposed closure of the Bus Station.
Roddy Nicolson
This survey is a “joke”. Whoever is compiling it one would think had never been on a bus in their life. Perhaps they should “hop” on a few buses and have a look for themselves ? And whatever happened to the extra money that the Scottish Government gave to local authorities to support, and indeed increase, our local bus services ?
I’d complain to our MSP, if he wasn’t such a waste of space and time.
I’m wasting my time. This will go through one ear via empty space, and out the other.