Hull Bus Alliance acts on feedback from engagement sessions with bus passengers and students

The Hull Bus Alliance has acted on feedback received from bus passengers, following a drop-in session at Tesco, Hall Road, Orchard Park and a transport forum hosted by the Hull University Students’ Union (HUSU).

The recent drop-in session, the first in a series planned for the year, saw staff from Hull City Council, East Yorkshire Buses and Stagecoach engage with dozens of bus passengers and potential new customers and discuss a wide range of topics.

On the back of this, the alliance has agreed to look into -

• providing additional bus shelters
• enhancing demand responsive transport for medical appointments to Castle Hill Hospital and Hull Royal Infirmary, in collaboration with East Riding of Yorkshire Council
• improving the reliability of buses
• reviewing night-time bus provision from Paragon Interchange, after 8pm, to better support shift workers
• providing additional bus services during concerts and major events in late evenings
• ensuring reliable bus frequency, minimum one service per hour, from the outskirts of the city to facilitate better bus connectivity to support things like GP appointments, work and leisure

Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways at Hull City Council, said “We’d like to thank all our residents who took the time to come down and speak to us at the recent drop-in session. Their feedback is incredibly important and helps us, as a council, and the local operators we work in partnership with to deliver the type of bus services they need and expect.

“In addition to acting on the feedback we receive at these events, the alliance is also working hard to deliver various other improvements like improved frequencies in the Spring Bank and Princes Avenue Corridor, night-time buses to promote the evening economy, £1 onward and return journeys from the Priory Park & Ride, improved monitoring of bus services, for punctuality and reliability and more feedback sessions for public interaction.”

Representatives from the alliance also attended a forum at HUSU to engage with students and find out how they could enhance bus services in the city to support the student population.

Around 30 students provided feedback which will help the council and the bus operators better promote products, like the Hull Card, improve the frequency of services to the city from other parts of the Humber region to help students living outside of Hull get to and from classes as well as the potential for discounted fares that better meet students’ needs.

Ben Gilligan, managing director of East Yorkshire Buses, said “The feedback gathered at both the drop-in session and engagement with University of Hull students has been invaluable. We’re pleased to collaborate with Hull City Council and Stagecoach to explore ways we can enhance passenger journeys and ensure reliable public transport options in Hull.”

Matt Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach East Midlands, added "It was good to meet students at the University of Hull and bus users at the recent Tesco drop-in session. The partners at the Hull Bus Alliance understand communities rely on our bus services, so it's vital we listen to customer comments and feedback, which help us shape the bus network to meet local needs."

For more information about getting around Hull by bus, visit www.travelhull.co.uk