(27 Mar 2014, 5:27 pm)Dan wrote Passenger Focus is not limited to Go North East, and aureolin has said that the discussion wasn't aimed at one particular operator - surely we'd have to do it for all three main bus operators in the North East and not just one of them..?

Indeed, even bus operators outside of the North East are celebrating the results. See an example from Lothian Buses here.

Regarding the sample size used, is this number/percentage based on what Passenger Focus deem appropriate or what the operators themselves deem appropriate? I've always thought that they were quite a respectable body.

Comes down to these sampling techniques that eezypeazy keeps referring back to. Boils down to them handing out surveys based on age, gender, race, or what have you. In GNEs case, out of a total of 693 responses;

* Fare Paying 323 (46.6%)
* Free Pass - 364 (52.5%)

* Age 16-34 - 137 (19.7%)
* Age 35-59 - 206 (29.7%)
* Age 60+ - 336 (48.4%)

* Commuting - 191 (27.5%)
* Not-commuting - 467 (67.3%)

* Has a disability - 194 (27.9%)

So if every single customer was given a survey, they'd expect the responses to come from the same proportions per grouping. I just don't think it paints a true picture at all. Why no scholars for example? Only 27.9% of commuters? ...