Scottish Government

Anna Dudleston (TNS), Professor Steve Stradling TRi Napier University and Dr Jillian Anable, Robert Gordon University ISBN 0 7559 2576 9 (Web only publication)

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In Spring 2001, the Scottish Executive commissioned a national baseline survey of public awareness of travel initiatives and issues in Scotland. A follow up survey was also carried out in Winter 2002/3 (Phase 2) with Phase 3 in Autumn 2004. This report details the findings from Phase 3 and provides comparisons with the previous surveys where notable. The research was conducted by TNS Social Research, in collaboration with Professor Steve Stradling of Napier University and Dr Jillian Anable of the Centre for Transport Policy at the Robert Gordon University.

Main Findings

• Levels of awareness of travel initiatives and issues (such as Park and Ride schemes, Bus Priority Lanes and Congestion Charging) have increased since the baseline study. There have been statistically significant increases in levels of awareness of over half of the initiatives asked about in the study. Particular improvement is seen for knowledge of congestion charging and climate change for both drivers and non-drivers.
• Just over a third of respondents who had heard of the Scottish Executive 'Choose Another Way' campaign, stated that is has encouraged them to consider their travel arrangements.
• Travel behaviour has not significantly changed since the baseline study. Levels of car use remain at the same high level as at the baseline in 2001. A high proportion of adults (64%) travel by car or van as a driver or passenger 'most days'. However, 39% of adults never drive a car or van and almost a fifth never travel as a car or van passenger.
• Analysis of the data shows high levels of car dependence but that most people are multi-modal travellers, using more than one transport mode at different times to meet their transport needs and those who include driving a car or van among their modes of transport are no exception.
• Different travel behaviour and attitudes towards modes of transport are evident for different journey types. 'Supermarket shopping' is the most car dependent journey type and 'evenings out for leisure purposes' is the least car dependent.
• There are mixed attitudes among car users in relation to car use - 55% of car users say they would like to reduce their car use but that there are no practical alternatives while over a third (37% in total) say they are not interested in reducing their car use.
• Overall, only 11% of car drivers indicated that they could not practically use a bus, train, walk or cycle for any of their journeys and are thus structurally car dependent - there are no viable alternatives.

Background

In Spring 2001, the Scottish Executive commissioned a national baseline survey of public awareness of travel issues in Scotland to enable the monitoring and evaluation of the 'Learn to Let Go' campaign undertaken by the Scottish Executive. A follow up survey was also carried out in Winter 2002/3, in order to determine whether there had been a shift in attitudes among the public in the first year of the campaign. This report details the findings from the third phase of research conducted by TNS Social Research, in collaboration with Professor Stradling of Napier University and Dr Anable of the Centre for Transport Policy at the Robert Gordon University.

Since the previous two phases of research, the Scottish Executive have evolved the ways in which travel awareness is promoted, particularly through the 'Choose Another Way' campaign, and knowledge of some of the factors influencing modal shift has developed. This third phase of research has taken into account these new developments in order to measure recent changes in public attitude and behaviour and to make comparisons with the previous two phases of research.

Travel Awareness

Table 1 provides an overview of knowledge and awareness of the range of issues and initiatives covered in the survey. The initiatives covered in the three phases are slightly different, with 'Choose Another Way' replacing 'Are you doing your bit' and 'Learn to let Go' since the previous phases.

Overall, the outlook is a relatively positive one. There has been an increase in the incidence of respondents claiming to have knowledge in most categories. Although, as at baseline, 'Walking buses' are the least familiar initiative, there has been a significant decrease in the percentage who have 'never heard of' Walking Buses since baseline (from 83%, to 76% at Phase 3.)

Overall, Total Travel Awareness ( TTA) (calculated as a mean score based on the 10 items in common to all three phases) improved significantly from baseline to Phase 2 and remained significantly above baseline at Phase 3. However it had not improved to a statistically significant extent between Phase 2 and 3.

Drivers are still more 'travel aware' than non-drivers but there has been a significant overall increase since baseline in travel awareness for both groups. Total Travel Awareness scores were significantly higher for males than for females.

Similar to the Phase 2 survey, older adults are less 'travel aware' than younger adults and adults currently or previously employed in manual occupations are less 'travel aware' than those in other types of occupations.

Table 1: Percentage 'never heard of' travel and transport issues and initiatives

Row percentages

Initiatives or issues that are most commonly known to both drivers and non drivers are bus priority lanes, Park and Ride schemes and climate change, as in the second phase. Least commonly known are car clubs, Travelwise and walking buses.

Just over three quarters of all respondents have never heard of 'Choose Another Way' and 8% have heard of it but know nothing about it. Four per cent know either a great deal or a fair amount about it and 8% know a little. Of those respondents who had heard of 'Choose Another Way', just over one third stated that it had encouraged them to consider their travel arrangements.

Current Travel Behaviour

Travel behaviour has not significantly changed since the baseline study. Levels of car use remain at the same high level as at the baseline in 2001. A high proportion of adults (64%) travel by car or van as a driver or passenger 'most days'. However, 39% of adults never drive a car or van and almost a fifth never travel as a car or van passenger.

Adults (61%) in the 35 to 54 age category are more likely to drive a car or van most days than either those in the 16 to 34 year age group (46%) or those aged 55 years and over (39%).

Car Dependency

Analysis of the data shows high levels of car dependence but that most people are multi-modal travellers, using more than one transport mode at different times to meet their transport needs and those who include driving a car or van among their modes of transport are no exception. Drivers report using more transport modes than do non-drivers but do, however, travel more than non-drivers.

Patterns of bus use remain the same, under a fifth (18%) overall use a bus 'most days' and 34% never use a bus. However, women and those employed in unskilled manual occupations or unemployed are more likely than other sub-groups to use a bus 'most days'.

A very low proportion of adults use trains frequently - only 2% use a train 'most days' and a further 4% use a train once or twice a week. Approximately half (48%) of adults never use a train, with non-working adults being more likely to never use a train than working adults.

Different travel behaviour and attitudes towards modes of transports are evident for different journey types. 'Supermarket shopping' is the most car dependent journey type and 'evenings out for leisure purposes' is the least car dependent.

Car travel to work remains dominant with 66% travelling to work as a car driver or passenger. The most common reason given for travelling to work by car is that it is the quickest method. The infrequency or lack of public transport was more commonly given as a reason in Phase 2 than in baseline or Phase 3.

Thirty per cent of working adults say it would be practical for them to travel to work by bus compared with the 12% who actually do so. Similarly, 11% say it would be practical for them to travel to work by train but only 3% currently do.

The journey types where walking was most considered a practical alternative were 'taking children to school'. The journey types where use of a bus was most considered a practical alternative were 'town centre shopping trips', 'evenings out for leisure purposes', 'visiting friends and relatives'.

As with the previous surveys, there are only two types of trip that a majority (>50%) of respondents 'always' undertake by car (go away for the weekend, and supermarket shopping).

Future aspirations

Future travel intentions and aspirations were examined in the surveys through a series of attitudinal statements towards car and public transport use and questions relating to future car and public transport usage. A particular aim was to examine the difference between what people want to do in relation to future transport usage and what they are likely to do.

Over three-quarters of all respondents agree that people should be encouraged to walk, cycle and use public transport more. Just 4% disagreed, with 14% neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Levels of agreement were broadly similar across the different sub-groups in the sample.

The proportion of car users agreeing that it would be easy for them to reduce their car use is statistically similar in all three phases of the research. A high proportion (55%) of car users agreed (29% tended to agree, 26% agreed strongly) that they would like to reduce their car use but that there are no practical alternatives.

The desire by some respondents to reduce car use is also seen in the findings about public transport use. In each of the three phases of research, approximately half of all respondents agreed that they could not use public transport any more than they already do, with a fifth strongly agreeing. There has not been any significant change between the phases in relation to agreeing with the statement but there has been a slight increase in relation to disagreeing with the statement. Agreement or disagreement with the statement perhaps identifies different target markets for campaigns aimed at increasing public transport.

Those disagreeing with the statement (37%) could use public transport more than they do, and therefore might be encouraged to do so. Those who agree with the statement might do so for a range of disparate reasons - for example, they might already make all their journeys by public transport, there might be no public transport provision for the journeys they make or they might have negative views on the quality of public transport.

Analysis was undertaken to compare aspiration to use a car less with perceived likelihood of doing so. Nine per cent of those who say they would like to use their car either slightly less or a lot less, say they are likely to actually increase their car use (compared with 10% at baseline and 14% at Phase 2). Sixty two per cent say their car use will remain at about the same level (which does not represent a statistically significant change from baseline). Just under a third of those who would like to reduce their car use say that they are likely to achieve this desired state (a similar proportion as in Phase 2).

Segmentation Analysis

The analysis has so far looked at different modal users and high and low car users in order to understand the extent to which travel awareness can contribute to modal shift. However, 'high car users' and 'low car users' are not homogenous groups of people. Within these subsets there are different levels of travel awareness, levels of satisfaction and sets of attitudes governing behaviour.

Whilst different groups may exhibit similar current levels of travel behaviour, the information they will respond to and the motivations for changing future behaviour will not be the same for each group. This has implications for the design of future travel awareness campaigns in order to design messages targeted to the most malleable groups.

In order to gather this finer understanding of travel awareness and the potential for modal shift, scores on attitudes statements relating to attachment to the car, willingness to change travel behaviour and environmental beliefs were used to group the sample into distinct attitudinal segments.

The sample was split into two groups (car users and non car users) and cluster analysis was performed on each group separately to derive the seven attitude segments. These attitudes and aspirations were resolved into 4 car user and 3 non-car user population segments. Full details of the segments appear in the main report but a few key characteristics are described below.

Car users

Die Hard Drivers (20%): This segment is the most attached to the car both in terms of current travel behaviour and a strong reluctance to use alternative modes. Almost all (98%) say they like travelling by car.

Car Complacents (21%): Individuals in this group generally enjoy travelling by car and do not find it particularly stressful. The majority (71%) admit that they are not trying to use their car less.

Malcontented Motorists (18%): This group stand out for two reasons: their high apparent desire to reduce car use and their firm belief that the alternatives do not exist to enable them to do this. In contrast to the Car Complacents and Die Hard Drivers, the majority (66%) of this group find driving stressful.

Aspiring Environmentalists (16%): Although still a car owning group, the Aspiring Environmentalists show the greatest tendency to use alternative modes, awareness of environmental issues and willingness to change their travel behaviour.

Non-Car Users

Car Sceptics (10%) This group is the least enthusiastic about car travel and in general disagree that people should have total freedom to use their cars regardless of the environmental consequences. Being environmentally responsible is very important to them and they are supportive of environmental taxation and most likely to disagree with further road building.

Reluctant Riders (8%) The Reluctant Riders appear to be involuntarily dependent on public transport. Individuals in this group like travelling by car and appear to carry out a significant number of their journeys as a car passenger when they can.

Car Aspirers (10%) This non-car owning group are distinguished by their obvious desire for car ownership and a low travel awareness. At the moment, individuals in this group display the greatest bus use (alongside the Reluctant Riders) and the lowest car use. Overall, they have the lowest Total Travel Scores.

Within the car user segments, current travel behaviour such as annual car mileage was similar in many ways. However, the segments were clearly differentiated by the extent to which:

• they are multi-modal
• they are willing to consider alternative modes
• they exhibit attachment to the car
• they feel willing and able to reduce their car use
• they believe in and identify with environmental problems
• they are aware of transport issues.

Amongst the car owning households the Die-Hard Drivers like driving and are resistant to reducing their car use. The Car Complacents are less attached to their cars but currently see no reason to change. The Malcontented Motorists find that current conditions make driving stressful, would like to reduce their car use but cannot see how. The Aspiring Environmentalists are actively trying to reduce their car use, already use many modes and are driven by an awareness of environmental issues and a sense of responsibility for their contribution to planetary degradation.

Of the non-car owning households the Car Sceptics are travel aware, environmentally aware, more likely to use bicycles and support constraints on unfettered car use. The Reluctant Riders tend to be older and poorer and where possible travel as passengers in others' cars. The Car Aspirers, more of whom are unemployed, of lower social class and environmentally unaware, need better access to destinations than their current high bus use provides.

Conclusions

The segmentation analysis reported in this study maps out the full terrain and implies that future travel campaigns would not use 'one size fits all' messages, but will target certain sectors' motivations and perceptions such as the stress of driving, the desire to be less dependent on the car and the feelings of altruism that can be felt by some people when they use their cars less.

This information allows alternative transport services to be presented in contrasting ways so as to emphasise the individuality of the users, avoid stereotypes and therefore address the widest possible audience without relying on the 'average' hit or miss mass marketing approach. This understanding also means that messages can be designed to avoid counterproductive reactions and to achieve a higher degree of acceptance for mobility management policies.

For example, Malcontented Motorists should respond to promotional messages which remind them of the frustrations encountered with current levels of congestion together with messages which tell them of the potential relaxing qualities of public transport and which reinforce their environmental imperatives.

The Aspiring Environmentalists should require less persuasion to use alternatives, including the bicycle, as long as this group is kept informed of the opportunities available to them. If resources were concentrated on only these two segments, this represents 34% of the population and a significant potential for mode shift behaviour.

Research Methods

In order for the third phase of research to be successfully measured against the baseline position and the subsequent follow up study (Phase 2), it was necessary to replicate the exact methodology used at baseline, to provide reliable and valid data. The baseline study included 1,045 interviews, conducted face to face with adults across Scotland, while the second phase achieved 1,048 interviews (compared with a target of 1,000 in each phase). The third phase of interviewing achieved 1,028 interviews. The interviews were conducted in the respondents' homes by the TNS field force during the months of September and October, 2004.

For each of the three waves of interviewing, a random sample of Enumeration Districts ( ED) was selected and within each ED, quotas were set by age, sex and working status - with the latter two interlocking - using Census information. This ensured that the sample accurately reflected the geographic and socio-demographic profile of the Scottish population.

Connecting quotas of sex and working status required interviewers to achieve a specified number of interviews with males and females in employment. This was vital in terms of profiling the potential targets of future travel awareness messages, as research has previously highlighted the importance people place on commuting and the prevalence of men who commute to their workplace by car as key targets in car reduction strategies.

The survey lasted an average of 15 minutes and was designed to explore travel behaviour, attitudes towards alternative modes of transport and awareness of different transport issues and initiatives. It collected a range of information such as:

• key demographic data (household type, household working status, whether there are children in the household, car ownership);
• behavioural variables relating to current travel behaviour and the purpose, mode and frequency of travel;
• data on awareness and perceptions of travel alternatives: do people know the frequency of buses in their area, how easy would it be to make the trips they currently make by car by other methods of transport?;
• data on awareness of campaigns and promotions aimed at reducing car use, especially national campaigns.

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The "Public Perceptions of Travel Awareness - Phase 3" Research Report and Research Findings are available on the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent

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