TTC survey shows drop in pride for city’s transit service

WATCH ABOVE: Have opinions about the TTC?  The commission has a no-pay job for you. Alan Carter has more.

TORONTO – A customer satisfaction survey released by the Toronto Transit Commission shows pride in the city’s transit agency has declined to 66 per cent from 73 per cent compared to the same time period last year.

The report to be presented at a TTC board meeting on Wednesday also reveals the satisfaction gap between occasional (83 per cent) and frequent users (69 per cent) widened in late 2014.

The gap was much closer, 73 per cent and 71 per cent respectively, at the second quarter of 2014.

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“Customers who are not proud of the TTC tend to be more educated, working full-time and to have higher household income,” the report said. “They are also more likely to be dissatisfied and perceive lower value for money.”

However, the report indicates the overall 2014 customer satisfaction rating remains consistent at 72 per cent with an average score of 74 per cent for the past two years.

Still, streetcar only customers are less satisfied (68 per cent) with the TTC service than subway only (72 per cent) and bus only riders (73 per cent).

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The report states the TTC needs to focus on reducing subway delays and crowding, as well as continuing to focus on the quality and ease of hearing on announcements about subway delays.

The survey was compiled from 1,000 respondent via telephone surveys conducted by Environics.

Survey respondents are Toronto residents, at least 13 years of age, and who use the TTC at least once every few weeks or more frequently.

The TTC says it will continue to conduct the surveys in 2015 with an update provided to the board in September 2015.