A survey asks past users of Tasmania's state-owned Hobart and Launceston Metro services why they no longer 'take the bus'
By David Goeldner | [July 9, 2010]
Former Metro Tasmania passengers might get a phone call next week asking why they stopped taking the bus.
A new survey aims to find out what concerns Tasmanian’s most about Metro’s bus services, Metro Tasmania CEO Heather Haselgrove says.
The survey goes beyond the annual customer satisfaction ratings to identify those who could use the service but don’t.
Current users will also be asked about timetabling and any difficulties in accessing services.
“The research has two aims – to improve services and increase the number of people using Metro,” Haselgrove says.
“We’re asking the widest possible range of people, including lapsed users, a variety of questions,”
She says the answers will be used to clarify what Metro Tasmania is doing right and could be done differently or better.
Haselgrove says market researchers Colmar Brunton will phone 600 respondents in Hobart and 200 in Launceston over the coming week.
“This will start any day now,” she says.
Responses from the survey will add to focus group data already obtained, and used as part of market intelligence to develop a marketing plan and to redesign services.
“Metro services will be rebadged after we receive the report from Colmar Brunton,” Haselgrove says.
The report will also be used to ‘fine-tune’ a major review Metro conducted last year prior to Haselgrove taking on the CEO’s role.
She says results from the Colmar Brunton survey could be used to approach government for the next round of funding for 2011-12, depending on the findings.
“The combination of qualitative and quantitative research will give Metro a broad insight into what Tasmanians think,” Haselgrove says.
“People can say what they think and we’ll listen.”
Metro Tasmania has 221 buses, 75 percent servicing Hobart, and is the state’s major public transport provider.