Are statutory passenger watchdogs effective in representing passenger interests in public transport?

•Passenger watchdogs succeed in representing passenger interests.•Success factors: organizational setting, research-based evidence, accommodation strategy, public outreach.•Strong relationship between the passenger watchdog and public transport authorities in the regulated regime.•Strong relationship between the passenger watchdog and bus operators in the deregulated regime.

In recent years, concerns over effective consumer representation of public transport users have increased considerably, as public transport has undergone substantial regulatory reforms. The ultimate goal of deregulation is to protect and benefit the public at large. Hence, this paper explores how this goal is being pursued by examining the roles of statutory, independent passenger watchdogs and their relationships with authorities and operators in regulated and deregulated bus regimes. Drawing on a case study of London TravelWatch and Transport Focus in Great Britain, our findings show that statutory passenger watchdogs are effective in representing passenger interests due to four factors in particular: the organizational setting, research-based evidence, accommodating relationships, and public outreach. The paper also documents the differences in how these passenger watchdogs build their relationships with key stakeholders and work with them within the strategic-tactical-operational framework.