Transport In Britain: Latest Trends

There continues to be widespread dissatisfaction with roads in Britain, with seven in 10 British people (72%) finding road congestion a major problem in their local area. This is one of the findings from MORI's 2003 survey for the County Surveyors Society. Three-fifths of car and motorcycle users (61%) say traffic congestion has worsened in their local area over the past five years, compared with around half (52%) in 2001.

There continues to be widespread dissatisfaction with roads in Britain, with seven in 10 British people (72%) finding road congestion a major problem in their local area. This is one of the findings from MORI's 2003 survey for the County Surveyors Society. Three-fifths of car and motorcycle users (61%) say traffic congestion has worsened in their local area over the past five years, compared with around half (52%) in 2001.

Technical details

Results are based on interviews with 2,016 adults aged 15+ across 190 sampling points in Great Britain. Interviews were completed face-to-face, in-home between 25-30 September 2003. Data are weighted to the national population profile

Topline Results

  • Results are based on interviews with 2,016 adults aged 15+ across 190 sampling points in Great Britain
  • Interviews were completed face-to-face, in-home between 25-30 September 2003
  • Data are weighted to the national population profile
  • Where results do not sum to 100, this is due to computer rounding or multiple answers
  • A '*' indicates a value of less than half of one per cent, but greater than zero
  • Base all (2,016), unless otherwise specified

Q1 Which of the following modes of transport have you used in the last ...a) month b) 12 months?

160 1a) 1b)
160 Month Twelve Months
160 % %
Car 89 92
Bus 50 67
Train 35 57
Bicycle 18 26
Motorbike 5 7
None of these 1 1
Don't know 1 1

Q2 From the showcard, how satisfied or dissatisfied would you say you are with road maintenance in this area?

160 1991 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 Change 1991-2003
160 % % % % % % 177%
Very satisfied 3 4 3 3 4 3 -
Fairly satisfied 27 39 38 34 35 33 +6
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 9 11 17 15 14 12 +3
Fairly dissatisfied 29 25 25 26 26 27 -2
Very dissatisfied 26 19 16 20 20 24 -2
160
Satisfied 29 43 41 37 39 36 +7
Dissatisfied 55 44 41 46 46 50 -5
160
Don't know 6 3 * 1 1 1 -5

Q3 From this card how satisfied or dissatisfied would you say you are with the road system overall in this area?

160 2000 2001 2002 2003 Change 2000-2003
160 % % % % 177%
Very satisfied 5 4 7 3 -2
Fairly satisfied 45 42 42 41 -4
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 15 14 13 17 +2
Fairly dissatisfied 23 21 21 23 -
Very dissatisfied 11 17 17 15 +4
160
Satisfied 50 46 48 44 -6
Dissatisfied 35 39 38 38 +3
160
Don't know * 1 1 1 +1

Q4 Which of these aspects of transport do you think has improved in your local area over the last five years?

160 2001 2002 2003 Change 2001-2003
160 % % % 177%
Road safety 20 16 17 -3
Road safety (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 21 16 18 -3
160
The cost of public transport 6 5 6 -
The cost of public transport (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 6 7 7 +1
The cost of public transport (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 8 7 7 -1
160
Personal safety on public transport 8 5 7 -1
Personal safety on public transport (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 8 6 7 -1
Personal safety on public transport (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 10 6 9 -1
160
Road and pavement maintenance 14 11 11 -3
Road and pavement maintenance (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 14 11 11 -3
160
Traffic congestion 6 4 8 +2
Traffic congestion (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 6 3 8 +2
160
The roads system 9 7 8 -1
The roads system (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 10 7 8 -2
160
Train services 4 6 6 +2
Train services (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 7 9 9 +2
160
Bus services 25 23 21 -4
Bus services (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 23 30 26 +3
160
Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists 33 27 30 -3
Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists (Cyclists: 2001 -- 493; 2002 -- 421; 2003 -- 502) 45 36 41 -4
160
None of these 23 30 28 +5
Don't know 8 7 8 -

Q5 And which do you think has got worse in your local area over the past five years?

160 2001 2002 2003 Change 2001-2003
160 % % % 177%
Road safety 15 13 16 +1
Road safety (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 16 13 16 -
160
The cost of public transport 30 24 28 -2
The cost of public transport (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 33 27 32 -1
The cost of public transport (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 32 26 30 -2
160
Personal safety on public transport 12 9 11 -1
Personal safety on public transport (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 15 10 13 -2
Personal safety on public transport (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 13 10 12 -1
160
Road and pavement maintenance 30 29 30 -
Road and pavement maintenance (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 32 30 31 -1
160
Traffic congestion 51 51 60 +9
Traffic congestion (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 52 53 61 +9
160
The roads system 18 17 19 +1
The roads system (Car users: 2001 -- 1,707; 2002 -- 1,690; 2003 -- 1,847) 19 18 19 -
160
Train services 21 19 18 -3
Train services (Train users: 2001 -- 777; 2002 -- 1,012; 2003 -- 1,102) 26 23 21 -5
160
Bus services 23 20 19 -4
Bus services (Bus users: 2001 -- 1,330; 2002 -- 1,295; 2003 -- 1,372) 31 22 20 -11
160
Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists 8 7 8 -
Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists (Cyclists: 2001 -- 493; 2002 -- 421; 2003 -- 502) 10 10 10 -
160
None of these 7 8 7 -
Don't know 7 8 7 -

Q6 Which of these aspects of transport do you think will see a noticeable improvement in your local area over the next 4 or 5 years?

160 Yes, will see noticeable improvement Change
160 2001 2002 2003 2001-2003
160 % % % 177%
Road safety 18 14 16 -2
The cost of public transport 9 9 9 -
Personal safety on public transport 8 7 9 +1
Road and pavement maintenance 14 11 15 +1
Traffic congestion 18 16 18 -
Train services 15 11 14 -1
Bus services 19 15 16 -3
Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists 18 12 16 -2
160
None of these 23 29 27 +4
Don't know 16 20 17 +1

Q7 If the government were to invest extra money on transport, in which two or three of the following areas would you most like to see greater investment made?

160 2000 2001 2002 2003 Change 2000-2003
160 % % % % 177%
Improving road safety 34 34 33 33 -1
Reducing the cost of public transport 56 43 41 44 -12
Improving personal safety on public transport 19 16 17 17 -2
Road and pavement maintenance 35 33 35 38 +3
Building new roads in congestion 'hot spots' 35 29 33 34 -1
Improving train services 30 30 35 33 +3
Improving bus services 40 39 39 36 -4
Improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists n/a 20 17 20 n/a
Other 1 1 1 1 -
160
None of these 1 * 2 1 -
Don't know 2 2 2 2 -

Q8 During peak times, how much of a problem would you say road congestion is in the area 5 miles around where you live? Is it ...

160 %
A very major problem 31
A fairly major problem 41
A minor problem 21
No problem at all 5
160
A major problem 72
160
Don't know 3

Q9 In London, motorists are now charged 1635 to enter the central London Congestion Charging zone on weekdays between 7am and 6:30pm in an effort to reduce congestion. Revenue generated from congestion charging in London is re-invested in transport improvements across the Capital. Supposing this approach was introduced in other parts of the country in order to reduce congestion and to fund transport improvements.

Overall, how strongly do you support or oppose congestion charging in other towns or cities?

160 GB London Difference
Base (2,016) (246) 160
160 % % 177%
Strongly support 10 16 +6
Tend to support 27 34 +7
Neither support nor oppose 13 16 +3
Tend to oppose 19 15 -4
Strongly oppose 28 18 -10
160
Support 37 50 +13
Oppose 47 33 -14
160
Don't know 3 1 -2

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