The most important facilities to provide at the interchange location are good shelters, real time information, printed timetable information and good signs. Information issues are valued highly, along with comfort. Security issues, reflected by closed circuit television and staff presence, seem to have moderate value, whilst convenience factors, such as newsagent, change machine, toilet and eating and drinking facilities are the least important attributes. Those factors which are valued highly serve to reduce the expenditure of personal resources of physical, cognitive and emotional effort in the negotiation of journeys involving interchange. However, some points can be made on the basis of the research undertaken in this study.
Public transport is viewed as second rate.
In the focus groups and interviews of our stage 1 research passengers indicated that they felt under valued, and that staff lacked courtesy and were unwilling to help. Interchange was felt to work satisfactorily, however, where a good frequency of service and high level of connecting services existed. There was a clear general preference for direct, frequent and reliable services. The stage 2 survey research showed that waiting at the interchange for an onward bus was the least satisfactory trip component while the proportions of dissatisfied bus users increased significantly with waiting times above 5 minutes. Further analysis revealed that when dissatisfaction was plotted against importance the data indicated areas where urgent action is required were 'on time' and 'frequency'.