Public Attitudes Survey Data: Wave 23

Transport Scotland had been monitoring public attitudes to transport and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, running from May 2020 to November 2021. We were doing this through a telephone survey carried out on our behalf with a representative sample of over 16s across Scotland. We have recently restarted the survey to look at attitudes to transport and travel following the easing of restrictions around COVID-19. This information provides the key findings from the latest wave of the survey. This information is used to gain an understanding of the ways in which the COVID-19 has affected travel behaviour in Scotland, as well as understanding public attitudes on topical issues relevant to transport. These findings are for Wave 23 of the survey which took place from 13th – 26th July. The key findings are:

Current Behaviour as compared to pre-Pandemic

• Around one in five respondents (18%) say they are using a car or van more compared to before the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Around half (47%) say they are using a car or van at the same level as before the pandemic, while a quarter (26%) say they are using a car or van less.
• Around two in five respondents (42%) say they are walking or wheeling more than they were compared to before the pandemic, with the same proportion saying they are walking or wheeling at the same level. Less than one in ten (9%) say they are walking or wheeling less.
• One in ten respondents (10%) say they are using the bus more than they were compared to before the pandemic. Around two in five (39%) say they are using the bus at the same level, with around a quarter (26%) say that are using the bus less compared to before the pandemic.
• Less than one in ten respondents (8%) say they are using the train more than they were compared to before the pandemic. Around a third (33%) say they are using the train at the same level, with a similar proportion (31%) saying that are using the train less compared to before the pandemic.
• Comparing behaviour pre-pandemic to now, respondents said they were more likely to: shop closer to home (46%); shop for non-food items online (45%); work from home (35%); and shop for food online (26%).
• Respondents said they were less likely to: eat out/go to a restaurant (38%); take part/attend group classes/leisure activities (32%); and work in an office or building (26%).

Covid-19 Concerns

• For those who indicated that they used public transport and taxis prior to the pandemic, over half (52%) of respondents are concerned about contracting or spreading the virus when travelling by bus; with 45% concerned when travelling by train; and 30% when travelling by taxi.
• Around a third of respondents (34%) say they are avoiding public transport and using their car more than they did before due to the pandemic. Over half (56%) say they are doing all of the things they did before including holidays and travel, with a similar proportion (55%) say they are walking, wheeling or cycling more.
• For those who indicated that they used public transport prior to the pandemic, 45% said that they use a face covering if using public transport; 54% say they do not.

Travel Costs

• Just under half (47%) of respondents say they can easily afford to pay their travel costs – a decrease of seven percentage points compared to the previous wave of the survey undertaken in May/July. Around a third (32%) say they are struggling to afford their travel costs - an increase of seven percentage points compared to the previous wave of the survey. A small proportion (2%) say they can’t afford their travel costs. Those with a long-term limiting health condition or disability; women; and those in socioeconomic grouping DE, were more likely to say they are struggling to afford their travel costs.
• Over half (57%) of respondents agreed that the cost of fuel/diesel has led them to driving less frequently or for fewer miles. Around a third (34%) agree that the cost of fuel/diesel has led them to switch transport mode for some or all of their journeys.
• Over a third (37%) of respondents agree that the cost of living crisis has had no influence on how they travel. A similar proportion (34%) disagree with this. Around one in ten (9%) agree they can no longer travel due to travel costs.
• Around three in ten (29%) respondents agree that they have changed the mode of transport they use to save money. Two in five (40%) agree that they are no longer able to make as many journeys as they did due to travel costs.

Safety on Public Transport

• Around a third (30%) of respondents said they were concerned about their personal safety in general when using public transport. A higher proportion of women (33%) than men (25%) said this; and those with a long-term limiting health condition or disability were also more likely to say they were concerned.
• The majority of respondents (67%) said that personal safety did not influence their travel choices, with one in three respondents (30%) saying that it did. A higher proportion of women (34%) than men (23%) said that personal safety did influence their travel choices; as did those with a long-term limiting health condition or disability.
• Over half of respondents (51%) say they have witnessed antisocial behaviour when using public transport. This was predominantly on the train/subway/tram and on the bus. 15% of respondents said they had witnessed antisocial behaviour at the bus stop and 14% at the train station respectively. There was little difference in gender with regard to witnessing antisocial behaviour, with men slightly more likely (53%) to say that had compared to women (50%).
• The majority (78%) of these instances occurred in the evening, with almost half (49%) occurring in the evening at weekends.
• Around one in ten respondents (12%) had been the victim of harassment when using public transport. The proportion of women who had been the victim of harassment was higher (14%) than for men (9%). For those who had, the majority of instances occurred on the bus (60%); on the train (35%); at the bus stop (12%); and at the train station (8%).
• The majority of instances of harassment also occurred in the evening (80%), with 45% occurring during the evening at weekends.
• The most common type of harassment experienced was unspecified verbal abuse (35%); drinking/intimidating/rowdy behaviour (32%); sexual verbal abuse (12%); and sexual physical abuse (9%). *Note that these percentages are based on a relatively small number of respondents who have been victims of harassment while using public transport (112).
• Around three in five respondents (59%) who had been the victim of harassment said that the experience had not changed the way they travelled. Less than one in ten (8%) said they no longer used public transport and used other modes; while 16% of respondents said that they travel at a different time; or don’t travel on their own when using public transport.  *Note again that these percentages are based on a relatively small number of respondents who have been victims of harassment while using public transport (112).