National Passenger Survey

Official statistics

This page provides information and links to our compliance arrangements with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008.

Passenger Focus and the Code of Practice for Official Statistics

The UK Statistics Authority published the Code of Practice for Official Statistics in January 2009. The Code applies to all bodies that are responsible for official statistics and compliance is a statutory requirement where statistics have been designated as National Statistics.

The UK Statistics Authority has decided that the output of the National Passenger Survey (NPS) produced by Passenger Focus will be classed as official statistics and, dependent on the outcome of assessment against the Code, may be designated National Statistics. The possible designation of other statistics produced by Passenger Focus is currently under review.

Passenger Focus has reviewed the NPS against the Principles and Protocols specified in the Code and has established that, while the NPS complies in many areas, it is not fully compliant. Passenger Focus is therefore producing an action plan detailing the steps that will be taken in working towards full compliance in the expectation that the NPS will be designated National Statistics following assessment. (The action plan and timeline will be made available as soon as possible).

On April 1 2009, Passenger Focus took over responsibility for the Bus Mystery Traveller Survey (BMTS) from the Department for Transport. Responsibility for the Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey (BPSS) will transfer on 1 April 2010. The outputs from both surveys are already designated National Statistics. Passenger Focus recognises its responsibility to continue to observe the requirements of the Code with respect to these two surveys.

Statement of compliance with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008

The statement is published in conformance with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008 which was approved by Parliament under Section 11 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and which came into effect on 1 December 2008.

The statement sets out Passenger Focus's operational arrangements for giving the Chief Executive and his close officials pre-release access to the organisation's own official statistics once they are in their final form prior to publication.

These arrangements are designed to ensure that such access is justified, limited, controlled and publicised and complies with statutory requirements. Their purpose is to maintain public confidence in the integrity of official statistics while also allowing the Chief Executive to account immediately for the implications of statistics covering policy or operational areas for which he is responsible. 

Click here to view 'Passenger Focus's statement of compliance with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008', and 'Definitional notes'.

National Passenger Survey

We consult 50,000 passengers a year to produce the National Passenger Survey - a network-wide picture of passengers' satisfaction with rail travel. Passenger opinions of train services are collected twice a year from a representative sample of journeys.

Passengers' overall satisfaction and satisfaction with 30 specific aspects of service can, therefore, be compared over time.

• Click here to view the NPS 'Results documents'
• Click here to view the NPS 'individual train operating company report documents'
• Click here to view the NPS Spring 2010 'Official Statistics press release'
• Click here to view the NPS 'Supporting documents'
• Click here to view information on 'NPS release dates'
• Click here to view information on NPS 'Pre-release access lists'
• Click here to view a 'Review of NPS'

Bus Mystery Traveller Survey

Please click on the link below to find out more information on the Bus Mystery Traveller Survey and our compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and with the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008:

Official statistics - Bus Mystery Traveller Survey

Monitoring compliance

The Head of Research at Passenger Focus has established procedures to monitor compliance. Any cases of failure to comply will be scrupulously investigated so that a full report can be made to the National Statistician without delay. The National Statistician will report regularly on compliance with the Code of Practice. This Statement of Compliance will be kept up to date.