A new report released by data specialist Snapper Services highlights the need for better quality public transport data to improve bus networks across England. The company’s Mosaiq Global Public Transport Index (GPTI) ‘Spotlight on England’ focuses on on-time performance (OTP) across six key regions, revealing gaps in publicly available data and, the firm says, offering a chance to rethink how we use data to collaborate and improve public transport policies and services.
Snapper Services CEO Miki Szikszai said: “The results show clear disparities in on-time performance across regions, offering a data-driven roadmap for improvement. Quality data is essential for making meaningful improvements in public transport. Without high-quality, publicly available data, it’s difficult for stakeholders to accurately assess performance and make meaningful adjustments.”
The analysis, based on data from 6 January to 2 February this year, tracked 3.8 million trips across six regions; Greater London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Midlands. Greater London stands out for having over 90% of trips not detected at the first stop, the company found, adding that the discrepancy is largely attributed to the high-frequency network model used by Transport for London. Meanwhile, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands lead the way in OTP performance, with around 73% of trips falling within the OTP range of -1 minute to +4 minutes 59 seconds.
Greater Manchester achieved an ‘exceptional’ performance by limiting early running to under 1% of trips, which Snapper describes as a ‘remarkable feat’ given the completion of the region’s new franchising system on 5 January. In Merseyside and West Yorkshire, figures show notable improvements in late running when the OTP scenario is adjusted to -1 minute to +5 minutes 59 seconds, the index shows.
The company highlighted that a major issue highlighted in the report is the inconsistency in how bus trips are recorded, especially at the first stop. In Greater London, data was missing for 93% of trips at their starting point, making it difficult to accurately assess performance, it found.
The Mosaiq Global Public Transport Index aims to set a global standard for reporting on-time performance and other benchmarks, and Snapper Services says that while its goal is to promote transparent, accessible data, it’s important to recognise that current data practices fall far short of what’s expected from open data systems. Miki added: “As transport systems evolve, better data will improve services and provide a foundation for more efficient networks. We urge regions, operators, and policymakers to work together, learn from each other, and close data gaps. Improving data quality will make public transport more reliable and accessible for all.”
