The ratings from metro passengers have significantly improved. In autumn 2018, 84 per cent of metro passengers were satisfied with HSL public transport, while in the spring the figure was 75 per cent. In Helsinki, satisfaction of passengers on the line from Ruoholahti eastwards was 88 per cent. The satisfaction of West Metro passengers also increased markedly: in the autumn, 81 per cent of the passengers gave HSL public transport a good or very good rating, while in the spring the figure was only 68 per cent.
Passenger satisfaction with the punctuality of metro services also improved significantly from spring 2018. In autumn 2018, three out of four passengers said the metro was punctual, compared to only two out of three passengers in the spring. West Metro passengers were markedly more satisfied with the smoothness of travel, interchanges and signage in the autumn than in the spring.
During the autumn, new metro drivers were trained to ease the shortage of drivers. In addition, there were fewer technical problems in the autumn than in the spring. In Helsinki, customer satisfaction remains higher on the line from Ruoholahti eastwards than from Ruoholahti westwards, with the exception of tidiness and safety.
Customer satisfaction improved significantly on the West Metro feeder buses and Lauttasaari bus services: 80 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the services in the autumn compared to only 65 per cent in the spring. In the autumn, 77 per cent of passengers thought that transferring between public transport modes was easy, compared to only 69 per cent in the spring. HSL made changes to the timetables and routes of some West Metro feeder services in August 2018 to make travel easier.
Tram passengers the most satisfied
According to the customer satisfaction survey, tram passengers were the most satisfied, with 90 per cent of them giving the services a rating of 4 or 5. Similar results were obtained in spring 2017. In autumn 2017, customer satisfaction was down following major changes to the tram route network.
In the autumn, HSL also asked for passengers’ opinions on the new HSL app. Three out of four respondents said the app was usefull for them and 92 per cent of thought that purchasing tickets on the app is easy.
From spring 2017, passenger satisfaction with signage in particular at tram and bus stops has improved. HSL has made sustained efforts to improve passenger information at stops and stations, making bus stop signs clearer and adding information to make travel easier.
HSL measures passenger satisfaction with public transport services almost year-round using onboard questionnaires. In autumn 2018, over 29,000 passengers responded to the survey on bus, tram, Metro and commuter train services. The survey data are weighted by the number of boardings on each route.