Left to right: Melanie Taylor, Transport Planner for Blackburn Connect, Cllr Phil Riley, Shaun Walmsley, General Manager for The Blackburn Bus Company, Simon Woodacre, Assistant Staffing Manager for The Blackburn Bus Company and Cheryl Sandford, Communities Co-ordinator for Blackburn Connect.
Published Tuesday 28 November 2017 at 15:06
The customers of the Blackburn Bus Company have said services are just the ticket in Blackburn.
Operator The Blackburn Bus Company has revealed a new on-board survey which found 97 percent customer satisfaction with both services after a £2.9 million investment by The Blackburn Bus Company.
The £2.9 million investment has gone towards the brand new buses, filled with passenger-friendly features such as superfast Wi-Fi, stylish designer interiors and USB power points at every seat.
The services are among those benefiting from a £40 million investment in public transport infrastructure on the Accrington-Blackburn-Darwen corridor under the Pennine Reach Scheme. Funded by the Department for Transport and led jointly by Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, the project has delivered highway improvements, new technology and high quality bus services in partnership with bus operators including The Blackburn Bus Company.
The services between Blackburn and Accrington run every 7/8 minutes.
The Blackburn Bus Company’s General Manager Shaun Walmsley said:
“We’re absolutely delighted with the success of the relaunched 6&7– we combine all-new buses with a host of fantastic features and our dedicated team of drivers, who offer the highest standard of customer care – and best of all, a warm Lancashire welcome for everyone as they get on board with us.
Nine out of ten of those surveyed said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the 6 and 7 – and of the customers who took part, 97 per cent said they’d recommend us to a friend. The modern, comfortable buses were given 4.7 marks out of five, with customers loving the free Wi-Fi and USB power points on-board.
There’s also a big thumbs-up for our drivers, as our customers have rated their friendliness highly at 4.3 out of 5.
With the cost of driving rising all the time, not to mention the stress of congested roads and finding and paying for parking, it’s no surprise to us that almost 7 out of 10 told us the bus was cheaper for them than driving.
There’s never been a better time to join the ever-increasing numbers who’ve made the switch to the bus – and with our buses among the greenest on the county’s roads, it’s great news for the environment too.”
Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
“It’s fantastic news to hear that people are so positive about the Pennine Reach bus service, given that a great deal of public money has been invested in road improvements in various parts of the borough. Including the new bus station, priority for buses at traffic lights and realtime bus information.
So I’m delighted to hear that those improvements and the work we have done with partners is paying off.”
Full details of all services operated by The Blackburn Bus Company are available online at: http://www.lancashirebus.co.uk, while more information on the Pennine Reach project is available online at: http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/Pages/Pennine-Reach.aspx