Bus passengers in the East Midlands are among the most satisfied in England

Mayor Claire Ward on board one of the region's buses (Credit: Onclusive News)

Bus passengers in Nottingham are among the most satisfied in England – with 93 per cent reporting positive journeys.

The results of Transport Focus’s annual Your Bus Journey survey place Nottingham second in England for satisfaction, just behind Warwickshire. Elsewhere, Derbyshire ranks sixth with 91 per cent passenger satisfaction in 2025, one place and one percentage point ahead of Nottinghamshire.

Derby City placed 21st of the 43 transport authorities in England with a satisfaction rating of 87 per cent, down from 92 per cent in 2024. Passengers in Thurrock, Essex, are the least satisfied in England, scoring 73 per cent.

With all four regional transport authorities now united under the East Midlands Combined County Authority, the high scores have been. welcomed – with Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward targeting consistency across the region to ensure bus passengers in Derby enjoy the same high level of journey satisfaction as those in Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Mayor Claire said: “It’s fantastic to see places like Greater Nottingham leading the way, with one of the highest passenger satisfaction levels in the country. That shows what’s possible when you have a strong local focus, good services and a real commitment to putting passengers first – and it’s exactly the standard we want to see right across the East Midlands.

“But these results also highlight the gap between the best and the rest. Through my Big Transport Conversation, people told me clearly that they want buses that are reliable, affordable and easy to use.

“My ambition across the East Midlands is simple: a public transport system that works for everyone – connecting people to jobs, education and opportunity, and supporting the wider growth of our region. By listening to passengers and acting on what they tell us, we will build a network people can rely on every day.”

EMCCA became the official Regional Transport Authority for the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Derby area last month. From Sunday 1 February 2026, EMCCA took over responsibility for transport plans and strategies, investment and bus operations – working closely with local bus operators – throughout the region.

The Mayor also congratulated Nottingham City Transport following the publication of Your Bus Journey. The Nottingham City Council-owned company was the top bus operator in England for customer satisfaction, at 94 per cent.

Fellow Nottingham bus operator Trentbarton also performed strongly, ranking 11th with a passenger satisfaction rating of 91 per cent.

Councillor Linda Woodings, Nottingham City Council executive member for regional development, growth and transport, said: “We’re delighted that Nottingham City Transport has come out on top as the best operator in the 2026 Transport Focus survey. This is a moment of celebration for our city – through public ownership, years of passionate and dedicated effort and tireless partnership working we have a bus operator that does Nottingham proud and that residents and visitors alike can rely on day in and day out.”

As the definitive, independent bus passenger satisfaction survey in England, Scotland and Wales, Your Bus Journey gives detailed passenger feedback on 48,000 journeys through 2025. It provides a benchmark of passenger satisfaction including on board the bus, punctuality of the service, value for money and journey times.

The survey found journey satisfaction across England was 85 per cent in 2025, up from 83 per cent in 2024.

Louise Collins, Director at Transport Focus, said: “The continued rise in bus passenger satisfaction this year shows that when government, local authorities and operators work together – and listen to what passengers tell us – real improvements follow.

“But the wide variation in results between areas demonstrates that some passengers still aren’t getting the reliable, frequent and good value services they need. We’ll keep using the insights from our Your Bus Journey survey to help local transport authorities and operators identify what’s working and where more focus is needed to help make bus the first choice for more people.”