Comments Off on Research reveals low confidence in UK transport sector
Zag Daily reports that a recent study from the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has unveiled a significant trust deficit in the British public towards the national government when it comes to making local transport decisions. Only 13% of Britons most trust the national government with this responsibility, while local councils command the confidence of 37% of the populace.
Regarding political parties’ trustworthiness on improving public transport, 33% of the public trust the Labour Party, contrasting with just 13% who trust the Conservative Party. This information emerges in a context marked by increasing political debate around transport issues, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s remarks about a “war on motorists”, the polarizing implementation of low-traffic neighborhoods, and the Mayor of London’s extension of the ULEZ to encompass all London boroughs.
IPPR Senior Research Fellow and co-author of the report, Dr. Maya Singer Hobbs, provided her insights to Zag Daily, critiquing the governmental rhetoric. “Westminster has attempted to divide people into ‘drivers’ and everyone else, but this is not reflective of how people think of themselves,” she said. “Most people who drive will also walk and take the bus or train, or cycle. This also ignores the fact that the transport system as a whole is failing people.”
The report titled ‘Who Gets a Good Deal? Revealing Public Attitudes to Transport In Great Britain’ also highlights that one in five individuals are concerned about affording necessary transport. Moreover, in the past two years, 71% have modified their travel habits to decrease expenses. It identifies that individuals living in rural areas and those on lower incomes are disproportionately affected by the inefficiencies of the UK transport system, whereas those on higher incomes tend to fare better.
Dr. Hobbs expressed the public’s dissatisfaction with the transport system and their high valuation of public transportation: “People agree that transport isn’t working for them, but the solution to this can be found in how highly people rate public transport,” she explained.
The study also reveals that 53% of the population views public transport as essential for getting to work, significantly more than the 20% who consider car ownership necessary. Furthermore, nearly half of the respondents prioritize public transport over having a phone, and 43% rate it as more crucial than internet access.
In light of these findings, as the UK approaches a general election, the IPPR has proposed six transportation priorities for the next government. These include implementing a comprehensive, shared multimodal transport strategy for England and allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel by 2029. Additionally, the report calls for all buses in urban areas to be electric by 2030 and for a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
Dr. Hobbs advocates for a shift in funding strategies: “We would like to see an end to competitive short-term funding and move to longer-term, strategic, single-pot funding which in conjunction with greater devolution will allow mayoralties and local authorities to deliver ambitious transport networks,” she stated. “This funding will help ensure a wider network coverage and maintain an affordable bus fare cap. We would like to see greater powers for local transport authorities to franchise bus networks or deliver municipally owned fleets.”
This comprehensive analysis by the IPPR clearly signals a call for sweeping changes in how transport policies are formulated and implemented, aiming for a system that better reflects and serves the needs of all citizens.
Comments Off on UK data shows majority want increased funding for walking, cycling, and public transport
British charity Sustrans has published its Walking and Cycling Index 2023, revealing that a majority (56%) of people want to see a shift in investment in road building schemes to funding options for walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport
Sustrans’ Walking and Cycling Index 2023 is the largest independent survey of active travel in the UK. With compelling figures, the charity is calling for proper recognition of the public preference for prioritising active travel and public transport. The results also revealed greater public demand for active travel over driving, with 50% wanting to walk more and 43% wanting to cycle more, and third of people wanting to make greater use of public transport. By comparison, just 15% want to drive more. 24% want to drive less.
Sustrans noted that these figures can give confidence to any moves taken by the next government in reaching Net Zero targets, and in hitting government targets of 50% of urban journeys to be walked or cycled in the next six years
Xavier Brice, Chief Executive of Sustrans, said:
“The evidence shows that people want to have the choice to walk, cycle, and use public transport. Moving forwards isn’t about forcing people out of their cars. It is about making it easy for people to travel how they would actually prefer to, which also improves public health, the economy and our environment.”
The wider benefits of active travel
Sustrans’ data shows that, yearly, active travel benefits the 18 Index city economies by £6.1 billion.
And walking and cycling prevents over 21,000 serious long-term health conditions in those same cities.
In addition, journeys walked, wheeled or cycled in 2023 prevented 420,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere.
Xavier Brice continued:
“The UK is spending record sums on transport but the message from the public is clear. They want a real choice. They don’t want to be locked into driving a car because there are no other options. We’ve seen real improvement in the cities we’ve surveyed over the last 10 years, but there is a long way to go to make active travel work for everyone. Now the opportunity is for government at all levels to listen to what people want and shift future investment to options that benefit us all.”
What the public wants to see
The Walking and Cycling Index highlights public support for initiatives focused on making it easier for people to get around their neighbourhoods:
65% support banning vehicles parking on the pavement with only 16% opposing
58% support more cycle paths protected from traffic even if this removes space for cars
50% support the installation of School Streets – closing streets outside schools to cars during drop-off and pick-up times. 24% disagree.
Dennis, who lives in Manchester, explained her struggle to travel actively:
“When the children were small I got forced onto the road while they were on the path as there was no space for the wheelchair. I couldn’t see them behind the parked cars. It was very upsetting. Unsafe pavements isolate people in their homes. When I was a manual wheelchair user I couldn’t go anywhere on the pavement. We need to design our neighbourhoods to suit people rather than cars. We should get rid of cars on pavements.”
• 77% of Brits support measures in their local area to encourage cycling and walking. Measures are supported by 6.5 people for every 1 against • 80% of Brits who expressed a preference want the UK’s streets redesigned to protect pedestrians and cyclists from motorists; 51% agree they would cycle more if these changes were made • But campaigners against the ‘green recovery’ have succeeded in forcing U-turns on initiatives to promote active travel • Analysis by prominent environmental psychologist claims data demonstrates people tend to overestimate other people’s opposition to cycling measures • #BikeIsBest spokesperson says “The small minority getting all revved up about their right to drive are having their voices heard through sheer volition. We need local leaders to be bold and secure a better future for the majority.”
23/07/20, London, UK. Latest YouGov research shows the public is overwhelmingly in favour of measures to encourage walking and cycling with 6.5 people supporting changes to their local streets for every 1 person against.
It shows that 70% believe more people cycling would reduce traffic congestion across the country and 65% of all Britons – rising to 80% of those with an opinion one way or the other – want to see British roads redesigned and changed to protect cyclists and pedestrians from cars. These responses are a clear indicator that there is overwhelming support across the country to bring about lasting changes to transport infrastructure which can tackle air pollution and climate change, as well as make streets more pleasant places to socialise and shop.
So far, 89 different local authorities have implemented a total of 503 temporary schemes that make more space for pedestrians and cyclists, according to Sustrans. However, vocal residents and pro-motoring groups have been successful in forcing some local authorities to perform U-turns on their initiatives to enable active travel, despite £250m of funding and statutory guidance issued mandating them to make bold changes that challenge the status quo. For example, in Reigate, Surrey, a pop-up cycle lane, due to be trialled for 3 weeks, lasted just 3 days after pressure from local MP Crispin Blunt MP. Other measures due in Ealing, Wandsworth, South Gloucestershire, Trafford, Portsmouth and Surrey have been reportedly cancelled.
Analysis of the YouGov data by Dr Ian Walker, a prominent Environmental Psychologist at the University of Bath, might even shed some light on why decision-makers are so open to heeding the vocal minority. This showed that people were clearly in support of more cycling in the UK, but at the same time they quite consistently overestimated other people’s opposition to this.
Dr Ian Walker, Environmental Psychologist at the University of Bath, said: “Perhaps one reason negative voices find it so easy to sway things their way is that people have a tendency to misjudge public levels of support. The survey showed that, while most people think Britain would be a better place if more people cycled, they also guessed that other people were less supportive, and more hostile, to the idea than they were.”
The data showed that 3.26 people support the view that “Britain would be better if more people cycled” for every 1 against. But when asked what they thought the opinion of their friends or the general public would be, many respondents drastically overestimated the negativity towards cycling.
The YouGov survey of 2,010 people also showed: • 65% (rising to 79%, when people with no opinion are excluded) believe children should be able to play in the street without danger from cars cutting through. Many councils are planning “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods” to enable this, but these have started to run into exactly the sort of vocal local opposition described above. • 66% (rising to 83% of those with an opinion one way or the other) disagree that there is ‘nothing that can be done to stop people from being harmed by motor vehicles’, showing the public do not see the problems of motoring as a ‘done deal’. • Similarly, 71% (rising to 86% of those with an opinion) disagree that there is ‘nothing we can do to stop people being harmed by air pollution caused by motor vehicles’. • 33% – and 35% of regular car commuters – would use their car less if streets were designed to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe from motor traffic. These values rise to 47% and 46% when people with no opinion are put aside. • 10.6 people support local measures to encourage cycling and walking to each 1 opposed in the 18-24 age bracket, whereas in the 55+ bracket this falls to 4.56 people in favour to each 1 against. • Young people want a future cycling nation: 5.1 people think “Britain would be a better place if more people cycled” in the 18-24 age bracket, for every 1 person opposed.
Adam Tranter, a spokesperson for #BikeIsBest and an active travel campaigner, said: “The small minority getting all revved up about their right to drive are having their voices heard through sheer volition. If the silent majority want to see this new, greener, better Britain, they need to act now or face going back to the old normal, with polluted and dangerous streets.
“When 20mph streets were first proposed, pro-motoring groups were whipped up into a frenzy, just as they are today. In 2017, data showed that the proportion opposed or strongly opposed to residential 20mph limits was just 10%. The same is happening here with measures to enable more people to switch their journeys to cycling and walking.”
He added: “No-one is saying that all journeys can be cycled or walked but many of our towns and cities are experiencing congestion – not because of cycle lanes but because of people using their car for short journeys, often under 2 miles. Local authorities need to stand up and refuse to be bullied into a U-turn on plans to turn Britain into a better place. These are plans the public agree with, so people also need to speak up so their silence isn’t taken as consent to keep our streets dominated by motor vehicles.”
To show local authorities the unmet demand for better cycling infrastructure, the #BikeIsBest campaign has set up an online petition for people to show their support for measures to enable cycling.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2010 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th – 17th July 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
BikeIsBest has united over 50 leading cycle brands, retailers and organisations into one powerful voice with a single mission – to get more people riding bikes more often.
The #BikeIsBest campaign has been described as “the most extensive coordinated promotional campaign for cycling since the 1970s”, with #BikeIsBest unifying brands, retailers, organisations and influencers in order to actively promote cycling to a new demographic.
The campaign is also backed by British Cycling, Cycling UK, London Cycling Campaign, Sustrans, The Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and Wheels For Wellbeing.
Comments Off on Take part in the micromobility and LEV survey by Voylt and UScale
Short online survey to collect data on Light Electric Vehicles with results expected in May
voylt is a European portal for sustainable e-mobility that offers interested parties a wide range of information and intuitive buying advice. Together with market research partner UScale, and with the support of the Federal Association of eMobility e.V. and electric empire (Federal Association of Small Electric Vehicles e.V.), vyolt is conducting a representative survey on the subject of micromobility / LEVs. More specifically, it concerns the large number of low-speed, light electric vehicles (LEV) that are used in urban areas for short distances in private ownership or as sharing offers. The hosts shared, “We want to clear up the myths, fake news and prejudices. What’s really going on out there on the street? In fact, many people only discuss based on assumptions – we want to change that!”
The survey should take 7-10 minutes and you may complete it by following the link below:
The nationwide German Bike Monitor 2021 survey, which occurs every two years, has highlighted shifting attitudes towards cargo bikes within the population
The definition for a cargo bike used in the survey is as follows: “The cargo bike is a bicycle that is used to transport loads or people. Depending on the intended use, the basket/box is in the rider’s field of vision or in the rear area of the bike. Depending on the design, these bikes are equipped with two or three wheels.”
From this, participants were quizzed on various aspects of the cargo bike market. The representative survey now estimates over eight million potential cargo bike buyers in Germany alone, with double that figure showing interest in cargo bike-sharing services.
Awareness of cargo models has risen from 38% in 2017 to 63% in 2021, clearly indicating the growing market. Additionally, 2% of the population now use a cargo bike in their lives (1.2 million individuals).
An interesting question, newly added this year, regarded second-hand bikes. The cargo bike garnered the most interest of all bike models in this case. 35% of those interested in a cargo bike would prefer to buy pre-owned; for comparison, this figure falls to 14% when averaged between all bike types.
The final and particularly insightful section of the data explores the arguments against interest in cargo bikes; the reasoning for such disinterest was found to cover a range of issues. At 61 percent, having your own car will remain the most important argument against buying a cargo bike in 2021, this was followed by the bikes being ‘too bulky and unwieldy’ (36%), lack of parking/storage space (29%), skepticism about effectiveness (27%), and finally, the high price tag at 24%.
The global management consulting firm has shared findings and thoughts on consumer preferences for ownership of e-kickscooters in comparison to use of shared services.
A July 2021 survey by the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, the Mobility Ownership Consumer Survey, returned responses showing that a staggering 70% or those who answered would use micromobility for their daily commute. Of these, 12 percent said that they would use e-kickscooters as their preferred vehicle type. The follow up article takes a focus on such trips for e-kickscooters and analyze the preferred ownership types.
Now ubiquitous in many cities and in the press, escooter sharing services first launched in the USA in 2017. Their popularity began to rise in 2019, with various companies competing for a portion of the market. The docked or dockless shared models however, warrant further discussion when it is taken into account that only 6 percent of respondents in the survey preferred a shared service when it comes to escooters.
To break down the numbers in more detail, the article states that 64% of those who said they would use an escooter to commute preferred private ownership. Operational leasing or subscription came in a moderate second at 23%. If we consider this a ‘private’ form of ownership, the combined total is 87%. For shared forms including peer-to-peer, station-based, and free-floating services, a low 13% stated this as their preference.
Image credit: McKinsey & Company
Reasons for such a preference for private ownership of escooters were varied:
“33 percent stated that they did not want to share a vehicle with others, and 32 percent wanted the flexibility to carry their vehicle onto a subway or bus. Interestingly, 22 percent of respondents stated that they decided to purchase a private e-kickscooter after trying one out in a sharing service”
Manufactures are presented with mixed takehomes from this information. Where private use entails better care and storage and less wear and tear, the longer lifespan of each unit may result in lower sales figures. At the same time, an individual may be willing to invest in better features and quality, which can increase margins, or they may be open to buying more than one model.
The article recommends: “To win in this potentially lucrative market, manufacturers should consider increasing their focus on B2C sales through dealers and other channels. They could also consider offering subscription-based services, which would provide users with an option between owning and renting.”
Challenges are certainly in store for shared mobility businesses. Rapid uptake can be seen as an advantage for this format when entering new markets, but it would be prudent to consider the incorporation of subscription or leasing models. This can offer stability in the form of recurring revenue, as well as some chance at capturing those users similar to the 23% of respondents mentioned above. Another benefit might come in the form of sales of decommissioned shared scooters. Once they are due to retire from the fleet, the popularity of the escooter means additional revenue may be found in the sale of this stock, which could be re-invested back into the active fleet.
Another sector which may be affected by the rise of the escooter is public transit. Since a large portion of micromobility journeys are replacing those which might have been taken by public transport. The article notes that it is not certain that their journey share will fall, but nonetheless has recommendations on adjustments that could be considered. These include storage space for escooters on their vehicles, which can help not only to retain, but even to gain customers. In a similar vein, employers should look at such storage provisions in the workplace, to contribute towards a happier and healthier staff. A step further for employers looking to embrace the rise of escooters would be financial incentives, offering micromobility vehicles in much the same way as company cars.
Comments Off on Electric bike enthusiasm in Germany increases by 24 percent
As reported in numerous publications, a survey by Shimano has examined the consequences of the corona pandemic for the pedelec market and found that 24% of Germans now ride electric bikes more often than before the pandemic, or are more inclined to buy an e-bike.
The study was carried out in Germany with a sample size of 2,000 people who were interviewed for the Shimano brand as part of a larger group of 14,000 people in twelve European countries. German subjects showed a greater willingness to use or buy an e-bike than was the case before the corona pandemic. Those with the highest probability of buying or using e-bikes were aged between 25 and 34 years of age, at 30%, while the likeliness was only 21% for participants over 55 years of age.
According to the study, a key motivation for this increased uptake was a possible improvement in general fitness, with 29% of the German participants citing it. 30% stated that they would mainly use an e-bike as an alternative to public transport, as this is one way to avoid the risk of contact with Covid-19. Cars are often preferred, and can outperform, over long distances, but shorter distances in towns and cities it can be faster and more efficient to take an ebike, especially during peak hours. Correspondingly, 16% of those surveyed named the main reason that they would save more time with an e-bike than with another means of transport. When it came to the reason for the increased likelihood of buying or using an e-bike, 33% of respondents felt that an e-bike is a good alternative to motorized vehicles. A large amount of younger respondents (34% of 18-24 year olds) were attracted by the possibility of reducing their carbon footprint with an e-bike.
The numbers do not tell the whole story. Even though the industry has enjoyed the benefits of a “bicycle boom” worldwide, the interest from the public must be matched by government initiatives and investments at local and national level, such as safe cycle routes, or financial incentives. These factors would help to meet the concerns of the 17% of those surveyed who felt the lack of a sense of security while riding, or the 54% of the participants who cited the high purchase price as one of the biggest obstacles to buying an ebike.
Three students who study business administration at KU Leuven are searching participants. For their bachelor thesis, they are conducting a research regarding a subscription-based e-bike service by LEVA-EU member Bizbike. Bizbike offers value through the service they provide for their customers, the company is more focused on maintenance, service, etc. rather than selling a product.
This survey aim is to investigate consumer behavior and attitudes towards e-bike services. Their target group is primarily people who are employed (full-time or part-time), actively looking for employment or temporarily unemployed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Please note that participants can participate in the survey, whether or not they currently posses an e-bike.
Participation is entirely voluntary and people have no obligation to participate. Personal information will be handled strictly confidential and in accordance with the national and European regulations about privacy. The data from this survey will be registered electronically and will be processed anonymously. The students guarantee that the data will only be used for research and education purposes and that unauthorized third parties will not have access to personal data.
In case participants have any questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to contact one of the students:
Against the background of her master thesis at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Hochschule RheinMain in Germany, Amelie Ewert is conducting an online survey on prospects for Small Electric Vehicles. For her thesis, she is exploring the opportunities and obstacles for the market in an international perspective regarding Europe, USA and Asia. Her objective is to formulate recommendations for actions to foster Small Electric Vehicles and to identify important players in countries or municipalities in order to attain a wider market acceptance.
Amelie Ewert invites anybody working or interested in the LEV-sector to participate in a short survey, which takes 10 mintes. She is looking for opinions from research and practice from different kinds of work fields.
