Passenger satisfaction with bus and rail services in the North is at an all-time low, according to an independent report published by the General Consumer Council.
The survey, which was conducted last autumn, showed passenger satisfaction had slumped to 63.2 per cent on Northern Ireland Railways, 62.8 per cent on Citybus and 71.5 per cent on Ulsterbus. They were the lowest since surveys began eight years ago.
The score is made up of factors including punctuality, value for money, passenger comfort, cleanliness, and staff helpfulness. The results measure the performance of transport company Translink against its charter.
The General Consumer Council said the results would have been worse had it not been for an increase in the value-for-money rating brought about by free transport for pensioners.
The council's chairman, Ms Joan Whiteside, said she was deeply disturbed by the results. "Passengers have clearly stated that they are fed up with standards on Citybus, Ulsterbus and NIR. It is now time for Translink and our politicians to sit up and take note."
Ms Whiteside said the council was not laying the blame completely on Translink: "We are well aware that Translink is stuck with elderly buses, trains at the end of their useful life, and also has to cope with unprovoked attacks on their staff."
The council called for measures to improve rail services until 23 new trains start arriving in two years and for bus priority measures which focus on key bottle-necks. It urged the North's Assembly to approve funds for new buses and for concerted action by politicians, community leaders, and police to eradicate attacks on bus and rail staff and criminal damage to vehicles.
Translink's head of marketing, Mr Ciaran Rogan, said he accepted the findings but stressed that punctuality levels were still "significantly better" than in Britain. Bus punctuality was affected by increasing traffic congestion and an ageing bus fleet.
"There must be an accelerated programme of quality bus corridors and bus lanes in order to make public transport more attractive than the car," he said. Attacks on buses, drivers and passengers in north and west Belfast disrupted journeys and a new ticketing system had led to minor delays.
He pointed to approval for some aspects of public transport. "Passengers have rated value for money highly. The introduction of free travel for senior citizens has impacted greatly across the three operating companies and travel has greatly increased among this age group," he said.