14 March 2024 , 08:41
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The worst five bus services in England are all in the North, a passenger survey has found.
Worst of the lot was Arriva in West Yorkshire with just 66% of passengers in the area, which includes Leeds and Wakefield, saying they were happy with it .
Arriva, one of the UK's largest train and bus firms, is a subsidiary of Germany's state-owned transport giant Deutsche Bahn.
But a takeover by US-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, understood to be worth £1.4billion, was agreed last year.
Transport Focus found that overall 80% of bus passengers in England were satisfied with their last journey, with 8% dissatisfied.
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The top-ranked operator was Stagecoach in Portsmouth, which had a satisfaction score of 91%.
The survey found that bus drivers can "make or break a journey", with passengers noting whether or not they wait until someone is seated before moving off, and how carefully they drive.
David Sidebottom, Transport Focus's director, said: "80% overall satisfaction is a good start. But wide variation in scores show some passengers are being let down."
Graham Vidler, chief executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: "Operators and local authorities will want to learn from high-performing places."
The research, conducted for the first time, gathered feedback on more than 35,000 journeys. Kim Cain, the area director for Arriva North East and Yorkshire, said:
"It is clear we have not been performing as well as we'd want to.
"We're doing our best to try to put that right and we're keen to work with Transport Focus."
Top 10 Best Bus Routes
* Stagecoach in Portsmouth (91%)
* Morebus (90%)
* Nottingham City Transport (89%)
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* Go-Ahead East Yorkshire (88%)
* CentreBus (88%)
* Trentbarton (87%) 7
* Ensign Bus (87%)
* D&G Bus (87%)
* Ipswich Buses (87%)
* First in Leicester City (86%)
Top 10 Worst Bus Routes
* Warrington’s Own Buses (76%) Non-major group
* First in West of England and North Somerset (76%)
* National Express (76%) 48 Stagecoach in East Sussex 75% Stagecoach
* Arriva in Tees Valley (75%)
* Preston Bus (73%)
* First in West Yorkshire (72%)
* Arriva in County Durham (70%)
* Go North West (70%)
* Diamond Bus in Greater Manchester (69%)
* Arriva in West Yorkshire (66%)