How travellers are feeling ‘less safe’ on ScotRail trains
PASSENGERS feel less safe on ScotRail trains now than they did a year ago, a new wideranging survey has found.
The nationwide survey by Transport Focus found only 79 per cent felt ‘satisfied or good’ with their personal safety on board, compared to 88 per cent last year.
And while ScotRail officials yesterday were delighted that overall satisfaction levels were up from 88 to 90 per cent on the same time last year, the watchdog survey showed a drop in the figures for 21 of the 32 measures tested.
The independent survey notes the 2 per cent rise was too small to mark a ‘significant change’ in passengers’ feelings about the service since last year’s spring 2016 survey.
But the 9 per cent drop in the number of passengers who feel their ‘personal security on board’ was satisfactory or good compared to the same time last year is regarded as ‘significant’, while customers’ feelings of personal security when using the stations have also dropped by 2 per cent to 77 per cent.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Green MSP said: ‘It’s deeply concerning to see that there are many more passengers who do not feel safe on board trains.’
Other surveyed categories included ‘attitudes and helpfulness of the staff ’ and ‘availability of staff at the station’, which have seen 5 and 6 per cent declines in comparison to last year respectively.
Customer satisfaction with toilet facilities has fallen by seven per cent and with luggage facilities by 6 per cent, while satisfaction with punctuality and reliability is down by 1 per cent. Only 61 per cent of passengers feel ScotRail gives good value for money, and only 54 per cent are happy with the way it deals with delays.
Scottish Labour transport spokesman Neil Bibby MSP added: ‘It’s good to see overall passenger satisfaction increasing after falling to a record 14-year low last autumn, but passengers will still want to see continued action to tackle overcrowding and improve ScotRail services.
‘This survey also shows that nearly 40 per cent of passengers do not believe fares represent value for money. That is why Scottish Labour called for a fare freeze in 2017 and will continue to demand more affordable rail travel.’
ScotRail bosses have said the overall improvement in customer satisfaction despite declining approval in most categories has come as a result of increasing punctuality.
Last year, when more than one in ten ScotRail services failed to run on time, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf began to discuss the prospect of stripping Dutch firm Abellio of its £6billion contract to run the service.
New ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: ‘The lessons of last year been learnt and we’re coming back stronger than ever.’
On security, Mr Hynes added: ‘Customers are telling us that their perception of safety and security has gone down in this particular survey, but that’s why we work with the other agencies – the British Transport Police and Police Scotland – to continually tackle incidences of what normally is antisocial behaviour rather than crime itself.’
Mr Yousaf said: ‘This latest increase in overall passenger satisfaction, when compared with Spring 2016, is welcome to both me and to passengers.’
Comment – Page 14
‘Action to tackle overcrowding’