Transport Focus is the official, independent consumer watchdog that promotes the interests of bus users in England (except London). We base our work on research, seeking the views of transport users on a range of issues that affect them. We use this information in discussions with governments and the transport industry as they make decisions that affect passengers.
Transport Focus is working with Ipsos to collect the views of bus passengers in this area, as well as other places in England. This survey will be taking place at bus stops and on board buses on selected days between 07 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.
Transport Focus has written to local authorities and bus companies (either directly or via the Confederation of Passenger Transport) to tell them this survey is happening, so we do hope that you have heard about it before seeing this letter today.
Overview of how the survey works
Here’s a reminder of the basic ‘nuts and bolts’ regarding how the survey works and how we enrol passengers to the survey.
Interviewers from Ipsos will be working specified three-hour shifts spread across the year, to include different times of day and days of the week, with shifts taking place at the bus stop clusters we have developed and on board a representative sample of bus routes.
The interviewer’s job is to talk to as many passengers as possible during their shift, to encourage them to participate in the survey.
At bus stops, this will mainly mean speaking to waiting passengers (they can also try talking to disembarking passengers), and they have been instructed to focus on the busier stops, to talk to the most passengers. On board buses, this means speaking to passengers after they have boarded.
The interviewers will have a tablet device with them that they use during the enrolment process. Passengers who are willing to take part will be encouraged to do so by means of an online survey, a link to which can be emailed or texted to them, or they can scan a QR code. For passengers just about to board a bus, who don’t have time to stop and talk in detail to our interviewers, we have leaflet with a QR code to the survey on it.
For those passengers who can’t complete online, interviewers will have paper copies of the questionnaire to hand out.
The interviewers will check to make sure passengers are aged 16 or over, before sharing the survey with them. The interviewers will encourage passengers to complete the survey at the end of their journey.
Sample Questionnaire
Information Leaflet
