“Passenger satisfaction with the ferry services has remained high year after year despite the increasing number of passengers,” tells the Head of HSL Operational Research Group Antti Vuorela. In summer 2014, 91 per cent of passengers gave the ferry services a good or very good rating. The average overall rating was 4.24 (on a scale of 1 to 5).
Passenger satisfaction with the different quality factors mainly varied for good to very good in summer 2014. Only the waiting conditions at piers received lower ratings. The arrangements at the piers during peak times attracted criticism in particular and passenger hope for more seats and shelters at the piers. Suomenlinna residents are as a rule less satisfied than other passengers and they give lower than average ratings also for the suitability of timetables.
Passengers who transport vehicles on the ferry deem the use of the pay machine easy and getting on and off the ferry smooth. By contrast, passengers are less satisfied with the vehicle transport booking system and availability of car spaces. A lot of open-ended feedback was received on the bicycle transport fee which was considered too high.
Public transport is a safe choice
Passenger satisfaction in the summer season has remained stable also on other HSL public transport services. In summer 2014, 86 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the services. The overall rating was 4.07.
Satisfaction with the reliability of tram services continued to increase. By contrast, the reliability of train services was down from the good level reached in summer 2013. This is partly due to the shortened turnaround times of trains. Cleanliness has improved or remained at the same level as in summer 2013 on all modes of transport with the exception of the Metro.
In the summer 2014 survey, safety was a special theme. “Travel by bus is considered safe and on tram services, safety has improved. Perception of insecurity on public transport is relatively low,” says Mr. Vuorela. Passengers feel the most unsafe on Metro and commuter train services on weekends. The safety of Metro stations has improved from 2013 but at the same time people avoid traveling by the Metro slightly more than in the previous year.
HSL measures passenger satisfaction with public transport services year-round using onboard questionnaires. During the summer 2014 survey period (1 June – 31 August) 1,228 Suomenlinna ferry passengers responded to the survey. On other modes of transport a total of 5,081 passengers responded to the survey: 4,238 on buses, 425 on commuter trains, 312 on trams and 106 on the Metro. The survey was conducted Monday to Thursday 6am – 6pm, on Fridays 6am – 4pm and on the Suomenlinna ferry summer weekends 10am – 2pm.