(17 Nov 2014, 6:01 pm)Dan wrote I understand completely what you are saying, which is why I said in my previous post that I do agree the survey should have been conducted over a number of different days; however, I don't think it would be irrational to suggest that most people have the same routines every day (at least on week days). At least ten people get on the bus I get to school every morning without fail (different people depending on which service I get), and this applies to the majority of people who are either at work or are still in education. I'm in the minority as I have the ability to travel using the first bus which turns up - others don't (either because their ticket doesn't permit this or they get on the service at part of the route which is not duplicated by another service).

If people can get to Park Lane on Monday at some point between 08:00 and 16:00, the chances are they'd have been likely to do it again the next day and the day after that too. Some people have varying work shifts or varying times when they need to go to school, college, etc. These people will be in the minority. Most of us will know how sampling works, and therefore will know that the views of these people will be accounted for by the majority (ie the people who will be in Park Lane at some point on Monday because they are every single day).

At this early stage when we haven't actually seen it in play, I think that this form of consultation is the best yet. Arriva's recent consultation saw an online questionnaire; even though I'm not from the area, I was able to share my views with the company, similar to your quoted anecdote where Bazza and Kuyoyo had the opportunity to give the company their feedback (although I'd argue that, with a face-to-face consultation, this is less likely to happen). Alas, Arriva's consultations are better than Stagecoach's methods on Teesside, for I do not believe Stagecoach has undertaken a customer consultation for the upcoming service changes on Teesside...