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According to early feedback and data, the new publicly owned buses across the Wirral have seen improvements in reliability and punctuality during their first two weeks under public control.
Data from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) shows reliability has increased by 10% since the new services launched, while punctuality has risen by 15%.
Reliability in this case is measured by a bus completing its entire route. Punctuality is simpler, meaning buses leaving and arriving on time according to their timetables.
New data states overall reliability across the publicly-controlled networks in Wirral and St Helens currently stands at 92%, with punctuality at 80%. More than one million passenger journeys have been made so far.
The figures come after bus services in Wirral returned to public control on Sunday, October 25, for the first time in 40 years.
Passengers have also praised changes to timetables, improved hospital connections and the introduction of newer buses.
One resident from Beechwood Estate in Bidston said Sunday services in the area had improved from every two hours to hourly.
Another passenger, Dawn, praised the new fleet, describing the buses as clean and modern, with USB charging points and two wheelchair spaces.
The changes include later and longer-running services, as well as new connections to hospitals including Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
£2 adult fare caps have also been introduced alongside MyTicket, which gives young people with all-day bus travel across the Liverpool City Region.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said the move to public control would put passengers first and help create services that better meet the needs of local communities.
He said: "Good public transport is a lifeline – it gets people to work, to hospital appointments and to see family and friends. It's something people rely on every single day.
"It's great to see such a positive start in Wirral, and to hear directly from passengers about the difference the new services are making."
However, the buses have received some criticism for their new design. We previously reported that Liberal Democrat councillor Councillor Allan Brame has called for fold-down seats on the new services.
He praised the buses' features, but told the Liverpool Echo: "On the single decker buses, the only place to put them is in the space reserved for wheelchairs, but unlike the old buses, the new ones are not fitted with fold-down seats, so these passengers are obliged to stand throughout the journey."
A spokesperson for the LCRCA told Wirral Today that the new buses are "some of the most advanced and accessible in the country, with additional space for people using wheelchairs and prams".
Passengers can find timetable, route and ticket information on the Merseytravel website.
