Increased public transport ridership due to revision of bus
routes in Helsinki
In August, HSL made major changes to bus routes in southern and
western Helsinki in order to improve the reliability of the
services. On the basis of the increased passenger numbers and
feedback from passengers, it seems that the changes went as
expected.
From September 2011 to September 2012, the number of passengers
on all Helsinki internal transport services increased by just under
three percent, more than on average in the HSL area. According to
Arttu Kuukankorpi, the Head of Route Network and Timetable Planning
Group, the figures show the positive impacts of the
changes.
The number of passengers on Helsinki internal bus routes
decreased by some 4.5 percent from September 2011 to September
2012, but the number of passengers on trams increased by 16
percent. The changes to the bus routes have caused passengers to
change from buses to trams in particular because bus services to
the West Terminal were replaced by tram service. The role of tram
services as the most important mode of transport in the downtown
Helsinki has thus strengthened.
The numbers of passengers on individual routes have changed
significantly. For example, on Helsinki internal bus route 24, the
number of passengers increased by nearly 80 percent from the
previous year, while the combined number of passengers on routes 11
and 16 decreased by nearly 60 percent.
Passengers have welcomed the faster
connections resulting from the changes, but criticized the fact
that some formerly direct connections now involve transfers. “We
have received the highest numbers of positive feedback from
Talinranta, Töölö and Latokartano, while negative feedback has been
given from Munkkivuori, Kruununhaka, Eiranranta and Kulosaari,”
says Kuukankorpi.