Chapter 7: Public participation in bus system design

Throughout this book the involvement of the public in the process of making bus transport accessible has been advocated. Public participation in this process is much easier to talk about than to do, and I would like to explore the ways in which such participation can be achieved.

The different perspectives of different participants in the design process, including the general public, the bus industry and local government, have been described. These are summarised in two diagrams (Figure 7.1, which shows the common communication paths between these agents, and Figure 7.2, which shows a more participative approach). This book emphasises the need to encourage the inclusion of users (including current non-users) in the design, development and operation of bus systems. In the main, adopting this approach to bring the implementation of the bus system closer to the people – in terms of service, network, infrastructure, vehicle and information design – makes it easier for everyone to use. This has meant placing the users and potential users at the heart of the development process rather than leaving them as an afterthought where they are left to put up with whatever has been designed on their behalf.