This month's guest on Transit Voices is Jennie Martin MBE, the newly appointed chair of Bus Users UK and the former Secretary General of ITS (UK). 

In a conversation with Masabi co-founder Ben Whitaker, Jennie highlights the communication gap between the transit sector and its customers. “I do feel very strongly that we in the sector, do not communicate with the people who, at the end of the day, are our customers,” Jennie says.  “We're slightly different in the bus sector, but in big chunks of the transport sector, you are directly spending taxpayers’ money, but we seem to take almost a lofty attitude that we shouldn't communicate with these people, or if we do communicate, we communicate in our own language and through our own channels, instead of communicating in their language and through their channels.”

Ben paraphrases Terry Pratchett by saying that a lie will have gone around the world before the truth has got its boots on, with Jennie pointing out that in many debates about transport policy “the person who's being mildly inconvenienced seems to be far louder”.

Jennie also sheds light on the issue of safety on buses, referring to a recent report in Scotland on women's safety and their perception of safety. “I think we have a really good understanding of what works,” Jennie says “[A bus stop] needs to be well lit, if it's been vandalized, which sadly does happen, that needs to be fixed pretty quickly. The issue with safety on transit is not just of you actually being attacked or assaulted - it's also the perception. If you feel unsafe, that makes it a really unpleasant experience, and you're far less likely to use that mode, you'll do something else. So the stop needs to be well lit and in good condition, and it needs to be placed in a sensible position.”

Jennie and Ben also discuss rural transportation, acknowledging that policies can't be the same as those in major urban centers. Furthermore, Jennie emphasizes the need to involve a more diverse workforce in transit design. Finally, they explore Jennie's interesting ideas on addressing the digital divide, which provides plenty of food for thought.