Satisfaction with public transport at 71 per cent

Seventy one per cent of people were very or fairly satisfied with public transport, a similar proportion to 2012. The proportion of people very satisfied with public transport has increased from 21 per cent in 2012 to 24 per cent in 2013.

Transport Scotland Statisticians today released statistics on transport and travel in Scotland from the Scottish Household Survey 2013.

The publication includes a range of statistics about the journeys people make, and how they travel. The proportion of adults travelling the previous day has increased from 73 per cent in 2012 to 76 per cent in 2013. Cars/vans remain the most popular mode of transport and are used for two thirds of journeys, walking and cycling accounts for another quarter and ten per cent are by public transport. Most journeys are short with seventy per cent lasting less than 20 minutes. The average car journey is 11km, but half of car journeys are less than 5km. The average walking journey is 1km. The main reasons for travel are commuting and shopping, accounting for just over a fifth of journeys each.

The statistics provide updates on progress against two of Scotland’s National Indicators on Congestion and on Public or Active Transport:

  • 9.7 per cent of driver journeys are delayed due to congestion, a similar proportion to 2012 but three percentage points below the 2006 baseline.
  • Thirty one per cent of journeys to work are by Public or Active travel, a similar proportion to 2012 and the 2006 baseline.

The figures released today were produced by independent statistical staff free from any political interference, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Notes to editors

Background

The full Transport and Travel in Scotland 2013 statistical publication is available on the Transport Scotland website: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/statistics/transport-and-travel-scotland-all-editions

The publication provides a first release of the results from the transport questions in the Scottish Household Survey (SHS), and for the first time also includes SHS Travel Diary data (previously a separate publication). The publication uses data from other sources (eg Department for Transport) to provide context to the SHS results.

The statistics in the publication are used by Transport Scotland, Local Authorities and others to understand transport patterns and travel behaviours in Scotland and to develop policy.

The SHS started in February 1999 and involved interviews with around 11,000 households across Scotland each year. While the aim is to obtain a representative cross section, like any survey the results may vary from year-to-year depending upon the composition of the sample. Some topics have been included in the SHS since it started; others were added more recently.

Results on other topics within the SHS, including housing, health and education, are published within the SHS Annual Report 2013 which can be accessed through the Scottish Government website.

Further information on Transport and Travel statistics within Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/analysis/statistics

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About

Contact: Transport Scotland Press Office: 0141 272 7195


Published 13 Aug 2014 Tags