More than half of Hungarian long-distance coach service provider Volánbusz’s lines were examined between 26 June and 16 July on the use of the new country and county passes introduced on 1 May this year, according to the company’s statement on Wednesday.
The aim of the campaign was to assess the effectiveness of the validation of the new pass type at boarding, identify any potential difficulties, and find solutions to the problems identified based on the experiences recorded during the polling.
The company emphasised that
the introduction of the country and county passes on 1 May was a significant innovation in the history of domestic passenger transportation services.
The introduction of the new ticket types went smoothly on Volánbusz routes thanks to serious preparation and professional work. The company explained that, during the three-week survey, employees participating assessed the attitudes of passengers and bus drivers regarding the use and validation of country and county passes on 1,548 bus routes, with the help of in-person interviews.
According to the survey, conducted both during peak and off-peak hours, 93 per cent of passengers automatically validate their passes upon boarding, indicating that most are well-informed about the use of the new system. Passengers who did not validate their passes were, in the vast majority of cases, reminded by the bus drivers to do so. The surveyors found that 96 per cent of bus drivers were following the new rules when on duty.
Regarding the operation of the validator devices, it was revealed that in more than 80 per cent of cases, they successfully validated the passes on the first or, at most, the second attempt, as reported by Volánbusz.
The company also stated that it is looking for solutions to efficiently address the problems identified, including minor technical issues with the validators. As part of the regular training of bus drivers, Volánbusz continues to place great emphasis on the detailed process and rules for validating and inspecting the new ticket types, with special attention to verifying the identity card numbers featured on passes.
The company expects that as a result of these measures, the smoother flow of passengers will contribute to improving the quality of service, increasing passenger satisfaction, while also improving the working conditions of bus drivers. Passengers can find information on how to validate paper-based and electronic county and country passes on Volánbusz routes on the Orszagberlet.hu website.
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