A report from the transport watchdog, Transport Focus, found a high level of satisfaction with bus journeys across Scotland. Of the national operators, National Express got the highest score of 93% while Stagecoach got the lowest at 88%.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland (CPT)’s director said:
‘Passengers have once again given a ringing endorsement to their local bus services. An average satisfaction score of 89% is an extraordinary result and one many other industries can only aspire to achieve. It is also worth noting that once again Scottish operators have recorded levels of satisfaction amongst the highest across the UK.’
Talking-up Scotland 
Is there any reason why Lothian Buses is not included?
There are other bus providers, such as McGill’s and Citybus, for which no data are provided.
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Don’t know.
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This seems at odds with a recent Citizens Advice Scotland report and very at odds with the experience of bus users between Sutherland and Inverness. We have very poor standard, freezing cold buses. That isn’t a criticism of Scotgov, it’s the legacy of Thatcher. Spoke to my MSP and there are no minimum comfort requirements and that is a reserved matter. My friend invited our local councillors to use the worst one – the 06.30 to Inverness and they all politely declined to try it for themselves. I can’t see Highland Council rushing to run its own buses even when legislation is in place.
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Slightly off topic – but encouraging to see another website also trying to improve the accuracy of stats being circulated. See below from holdthefrontpage (edited to shorten – Scottish titles extracted from full list): NOTE how on the more accurate ‘adjusted’ figures the Hootsmon changes from being the sole Scottish ‘regional’ paper claiming a small rise in circulation to the title experiencing the heaviest year on year percentage fall. If that is how the Hootsmon and Johnston Press report their own circulation figures it shows us just what credence one can give to any other bilge they report! The actual relative best performing Scottish title was the National (well done the National – also celebrating its 1000th edition today).
The official ABC figures published earlier this month showed the Wigan Post and The Scotsman as the only daily titles to increase circulation in the period July to December 2017, both aided by a significant number of free copies.
But an analysis of the figures by HTFP, removing bulk sales and free copies from the equation, reveals a different story with the Belfast-based Irish News topping the league table.
While the official figures, published by ABC on 1 March, included free copies and multiple paid-for copies – known in the trade as bulks – our analysis excluded these from both the 2016 and 2017 figures.
The year-on-year percentage comparisons between the two therefore provide a more accurate reflection of actual sales performance in the second half of 2017, as opposed to the official statistics which measure total circulation.
Our list also sees regional publisher Newsquest performing well relative to the other big publishing groups.Best-performing title in the group was pro-independence Scottish daily The National, which saw its sale decline by 6.1pc.
Newspaper Jul-Dec 17 ABC less multiple / free copies YoY% change
Paisley Daily Express 4,508 -6.08
The National 9,746 -6.11
Greenock Telegraph 8,958 -6.25
Press & Journal 47,821 -7.28
The Courier 35,618 -8.99
Edinburgh Evening News 16,093 -10.14
The Herald, Glasgow 25,869 -10.40
Dundee Evening Telegraph 13,304 -11.02
Aberdeen Evening Express22,688 -11.62
Glasgow Evening Times 20,874 -11.91
The Scotsman 14,978 -12.82
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At this rate, the Hootsman and the Herrod must surely disappear soon.
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Economic theory and history demonstrate that clever and nimble corporations can make a good deal of money in a declining market – but it is a finely judged game. The figures suggest that Newsquest is making a better fist of things than the disaster area that is Johnston Press. Trinity Mirror (now to be called REACH) are using the risk gambit of expanding into the declining market (recent take-over of Express/Star group). Their Scottish titles still have some major reach but massive year on year declines for Record and Sunday Mail. (Similar story for Thomson’s Sunday Post). See below from Press Gazette yesterday:
Publication Total print circulation (Feb 18) Year-on-year % change Bulks
Sunday Mail 139,638 -15.98
Daily Record 131,802 -14.18
Sunday Post 123,196 -13.47 538
I don’t imagine they’ll just disappear all at once. Probably continued managed decline with further consolidations. JP look like a complete lost cause and – one has to wonder whether the access to ‘shaping’ the broadcast media agenda via the print media agenda is the ‘true’ value for many of these corporations/oligarchs who are shelling out the cash. When do they call ‘halt’? – I don’t know when. Maybe the ‘politics’ outweighs the ‘economics’ – but for how long?
These declines are hitting the Daily Heil and Murdoch’s stable just as hard now (they are no longer defying gravity as they seemed to do for quite a while) – So will be interesting to watch – but things simply cannot go on indefinitely. Some major restructuring must be on the cards soonish. Certainly the ‘reach’ they have for the brexit Indyref will be very different from that they exercised during Indyref1. I must make sure I pick up the National more frequently – it is, I feel, very important that we maintain a YES presence in the print media (to help try and – even in a small way – ‘balance’ the broadcast news – since that is clearly how it is done).
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