Fantastic recognition for Nottingham as the 2026 Your Bus Journey survey results reveal that Nottingham City Transport is the best bus operator in England based on passenger satisfaction and that Greater Nottingham is the joint top region for satisfaction. 

As the definitive, independent bus passenger satisfaction survey in England, Scotland and Wales, Your Bus Journey gives detailed passenger feedback on 48,000 journeys through 2025. It provides a benchmark of passenger satisfaction including on board the bus, punctuality of the service, value for money and journey times. 

Nottingham was cream of the crop on two counts, with City Council owned NCT the top operator in England with 94% customer satisfaction and Greater Nottingham also coming joint first on area satisfaction at 93%, up 3% from last year. 

The cities other bus operators also performed brilliantly, with trentbarton reaching 91% overall satisfaction and coming in at 11th.

Nottingham City Transport recently celebrated a month at their new Travel Centre on Lister Gate, close to the popular new Green Heart area. Offering in-person advice, travel cards and other help, the centre reflects NCTs commitment to excellent customer service. 

As well as being considered the best operator in Great Britain – Nottingham City Transport’s recognition and success spans many areas: 

• The most recent Department for Transport statistics, released December 2025, showed that Nottingham has the second highest bus usage outside of London, 

• Nottingham City Transport’s Managing Director, David Astill, was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours List for services to public transport 

• NCT driver Zohra Rani was named top national bus driver at the UK Bus Awards 2025 

Nottingham City Transport is this week in the running for Best Public Transport Decarbonisation award via the Decarbonising Transport awards, reflecting its remarkable achievement rolling out 62 new cutting-edge single deck electric buses, helping to cut local pollution and Nottingham’s emissions.   

A £4.5million funding boost thanks to the East Midlands Combined Authority has recently allowed Nottingham City Transport to order 19 new electric double decker buses which will hit the streets later in 2026.  

NCT’s long history of innovation in this and other areas is a shining example of what can be achieved with a publicly owned bus network where profits are reinvested in services and fleet rather than going to shareholders.  

Nottingham has built a high quality, integrated, green public transport network around our buses, with trams and cycle routes connecting people across the city and beyond. 

Nottingham City Council, which own 82% of Nottingham City Transport, have worked with public transport partners over the years to ensure that buses and trams complement rather than compete with each other alongside the city’s other fantastic integrated transport assets including Lime e-bikes, dott e-scooters and the fantastically well received new Ride app bringing together everything people need for transport in Nottingham.  

Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “We’re delighted that Nottingham City Transport has come out on top as the best operator in the 2026 Transport Focus survey. This is a moment of celebration for our city – through public ownership, years of passionate and dedicated effort and tireless partnership working we have a bus operator that does Nottingham proud and that residents and visitors alike can rely on day in and day out.” 

David Astill, Managing Director at Nottingham City Transport, said: “I am proud to lead the team at NCT who display their enthusiasm and commitment every day, to deliver reliable and punctual bus services in what has been a year of ongoing roadworks and diversions. On behalf of them all, I thank our customers for recognising and rewarding those efforts with these tremendous satisfaction scores. Over the last decade NCT has consistently achieved a place in the top five nationally, and to top the league table of bus operators this year is especially pleasing.” 

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said:  “It’s fantastic to see Greater Nottingham leading the way, with one of the highest passenger satisfaction levels in the country. That shows what’s possible when you have a strong local focus, good services and a real commitment to putting passengers first – and it’s exactly the standard we want to see right across the East Midlands.   

“But these results also highlight the gap between the best and the rest. Through my Big Transport Conversation, people told me clearly, they want buses that are reliable, affordable and easy to use.  

“My ambition across the East Midlands is simple: a public transport system that works for everyone – connecting people to jobs, education and opportunity, and supporting the wider growth of our region. By listening to passengers and acting on what they tell us, we will build a network people can rely on every day.”