pietillidie
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
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| Post subject: Another superior...err...government service |  |
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Reading Buses in the UK are brilliant - clearly one the biggest assets of Reading town. My experience fully concurs with these survey results, and the findings provide an everyday illustration of the broader point I keep harping on about: Essential services must be kept very close to governments to attain any sense of quality, accessibility and value-for-money.
For the millionth time: Certain core services which underwrite social quality, especially those in markets with the characteristics of natural monopolies, must be structured to ensure over-the-counter government accountability, and local electorate pressure.
Whether that's through full ownership or full control, or some variation which effectively results in such, the council must transparently bear full and final responsibility and be directly answerable to customers on a daily over-the-counter basis.
Allowing the operation of such services to be hidden away behind 8 layers of PR, three generic web forms to nowhere, 12 automated messages, and half-a-dozen indecipherable phone-book length contracts, enabling shadowy private grabbers take their share and leave the mess for the public to clean up afterwards, is a failed 80s economic religious dogma.
| Get Reading wrote: | Reading Buses tops national ratings for customer satisfaction
Satisfaction with bus services in Reading was top with 84 per cent, compared to the average of 62 per cent
Reading Buses has topped a national poll for customer satisfaction levels.
The company achieved an 84 per cent satisfaction rate, compared to the average of 62 per cent.
Chief executive Martijn Gilbert said: "This is a fantastic result for Reading and, of course for us too at Reading Buses.
"We have worked extremely hard to ensure we are offering an award winning service to the people of Reading and the surrounding area and this survey shows, alongside the work of Reading Borough Council’s highways and transport teams, we are doing a good job.
"We recognise, however, that congestion and knock on delays remain the single biggest challenge facing bus services and we continue to work with our stakeholders to make the case for the bus as the best way to get around, in turn helping to ease congestion."
The national poll, conducted annually by Ipsos Mori, also revealed satisfaction with public transport across the borough was top with 73 per cent against the average of 51 per cent.
Councillor Tony Page, deputy leader of Reading Borough Council and lead member for strategic environment, planning and transport, said: "Reading Buses – owned by the council - is one of our greatest community assets.
"I’m delighted these most recent independent surveys confirm the high quality of service delivered by the council’s bus company.
"Operating reliable bus services in Reading can be challenging and the council is committed to close working with all bus operators to promote further priority measures that deliver improved bus punctuality." |
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-buses-tops-national-ratings-11060760
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In the end the rain comes down, washes clean the streets of a blue sky town.
Help Nick's: http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/fundraising.htm |
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