Buses are just the ticket

A customer survey launched last August has brought a generally positive response.

The company included a pre-paid return comment card in a series of "Customer News" leaflets distributed to passengers.

Operations director Dave Alexander said: "To date some 307 customers have taken up the opportunity to grade and comment on our services.

"Although that represents only a two per cent response level from the 15,000-or-so people who travel daily on K&DT buses, I do thank the customers who have responded in this way.

"Every response has been read and acknowledged, and those who requested it are now on a database to receive free copies of all our new timetables and service literature.

"We feel that this is a good enough response to produce 'Customer News' on a monthly basis from March."

He said favourable comments had been received from many respondents on service reliability, cleanliness of buses, customer service and the provision of information about services.

And he added that many other issues raised by customers were being actively addressed.

The company is now setting up a bus users group (BUG) for the Keighley area, which will meet for the first time in April.

Volunteers will soon be sought to serve on the customer forum-style body.

Mr Alexander added: "The bus industry as a whole has not been good at asking customers for their input into its decision-making, and we at K&DT are determined to re-assess our interface with customers, whose perceptions are very important to us.

"Despite an overall 78.5 per cent positive rating, we feel that we can deliver further improvements in the quality of our services.

"We know there are some parts of our network where we need to focus our attention.

"This cannot, however, be done in isolation and a wider-ranging review of services is now being progressed."

K&DT will be among those participating in Keighley Day on March 15, when a special show bus will be parked in Low Street. Staff will be on hand to answer questions from the public.