The Bus Appeals Body is a joint body set up by bus passenger representative organisation Bus Users UK and the bus operators’ organisation the Confederation of Passenger Transport, to examine cases where bus users consider that a bus or coach company has not handled a complaint properly.

Although set up by Bus Users UK and CPT, the Bus Appeals Body is an independent organisation, chaired by Lord Snape of Wednesbury, who took over the role following the sad death of Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld in 2008.

The statutory remit of rail watchdog Passenger Focus is extended to cover bus passengers from 1 April and after much consideration and consultation it has been decided that the Bus Appeals Body should continue to handle the complaint appeals role in England, excluding London where London Travelwatch has a statutory duty to represent public transport users. The Bus Appeals Body also performs the same role for bus users in Wales, though dissatisfied bus users in Scotland can appeal to the statutory Bus Passengers Platform.

BAB Chairman Lord Peter Snape welcomed the Government’s decision. ‘The Bus Appeals Body has represented bus passengers well for several years now’, he said, ‘and at no cost to the public purse’. He recognised that the Government expected the Bus Appeals Body to give bus passengers at least as good a service as rail passengers get from Passenger Focus. ‘We have been working hard to improve the service we give to the public’, he said, ‘and in recognition of the new era for bus passenger representation we have also invited Passenger Focus to attend all our meetings’. BAB’s internal systems have been thoroughly overhauled in readiness for an enhanced role as Passenger Focus ‘signposts’ the complaints procedure and a new handbook was published last year.

Although BAB is not a statutory body, CPT requires its members to abide by the Body’s decisions. During 2009 BAB dealt with more than 80 cases, but many more were resolved successfully by Bus Users UK before reaching BAB.

For more information about Bus Appeals Body, go to www.busappealsbody.co.uk