CUSTOMER satisfaction among passengers travelling with Salisbury Reds and sister company, Morebus, has risen for the third year running – according to an independent survey.

The bus operators – previously known as Wilts & Dorset – scored 92 per cent in an overall satisfaction rating, according to national watchdog Passenger Focus.

Passengers travelling by bus across the region were surveyed between March and May this year.

They gave scores and views on aspects of the firms’ performance – including convenience, punctuality, service, comfort and the condition of both vehicles and shelters.

“These are excellent statistics and I’m delighted that so many are continuing to find our buses both convenient and comfortable,” said managing director, Andrew Wickham.

“However, there are always things we can do to help make journeys a more pleasurable experience.

“That is why the annual survey from Passenger Focus is so important to us. It provides a gauge on how we are performing in comparison to others nationally – which I’m pleased to say is very favourable.

“But it also offers great insight into how our customers feel we could improve our performance.”

This year, Salisbury Reds installed USB ports on some of its buses as part of a pilot scheme, allowing passengers to charge their mobile phones whilst travelling.

The company also introduced Near Field Communications (NFC) at bus stops in the city – giving people access to real time travel information on their phones.

Mr Wickham added: “These initiatives and others like them are the result of consulting local customers to find out what matters most to them – and we have further improvements planned for the coming year. We will also use the detailed information from the annual Passenger Focus survey to work with closely with local authority partners on highway issues, bus shelters and other important aspects of travelling by bus in the region.”