Technology 'key' to reviving bus travel

Passengers want a hassle-free, seamless experience, said one academic

Public transport in Southern England is struggling because it has "failed to keep up with the digital age", a study has found.

Researchers at the University of Surrey said "simple innovations", such as easy payment systems, e-ticketing, and mobile applications, could improve ridership and passenger satisfaction.

They added that these tech-driven changes could increase the number of people on buses by more than 30%.

Rebecca, who was waiting for a bus at Redhill, told BBC Radio Surrey that the reliability of buses was one reason why she did not take them very often.

Others, like 65-year-old David, said the cost of tickets was also an issue.

The study used machine learning to analyse survey data, which helped researchers identify key factors that influence whether people choose the bus over their private cars.

"We discovered that passengers want a seamless, hassle-free experience," said Dr Wolfgang Garn, one of the authors of the study and associate professor in analytics at the University of Surrey.

"If paying for a bus journey feels complicated or outdated, people are more likely to opt for driving instead."

The findings also highlighted several critical issues that undermine bus usage, including inconvenient payment processes, a lack of clear information about bus routes and fares, and concerns about reliability and security.