Survey of Britain s Transport Journalists A Key Influencer Tracking Study Conducted by Ipsos MORI Results

Transcription

1 Survey of Britain s Transport Journalists A Key Influencer Tracking Study Conducted by Ipsos MORI 2014 Results

2 Methodology This report presents the findings of the 2014 study of Transport Journalists, part of Ipsos MORI s programme of regular multi-sponsored studies among key audiences. Fieldwork dates : 10 th June - 27 th July journalists were interviewed in total Interviews were conducted face-to-face Where results do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of don t know categories This work was carried out to the international quality standard for market research, ISO

3 Key findings: Capacity and investment are the priority areas in the transport sector in 2014 Rail issues are at the top of the agenda for Transport Journalists in 2014, with general agreement on the most important aspects. Transport Journalists say the highest priority issues for Government are addressing overcrowding on existing train services (52%), followed by reducing the cost of travelling by train (40%) and investing to improve the reliability of existing train services (38%). In response to being asked which areas of public spending on roads and public transport should be protected from spending cuts, by far the most common response is spending to improve existing train services (63%) Continued investment in rail (44%) and favourable mentions of high speed rail/hs2 (36%) are the main reasons why 40% agree that they are satisfied with the present Government s transport policies While it is also recognised that there are important issues in the aviation sector, there is less agreement on what shape government policy should take. A third (32%) say that capacity at London s airports is the most important current issue in the transport sector, the joint highest mention, alongside a lack of investment in general However, there is much disagreement on where this capacity expansion should be. Building an additional runway at Gatwick is the most supported option with 52% in support and 14% in opposition, followed by expansion at Heathrow (51% for and 29% against). Three times as many Transport Journalists oppose than support a new airport in the Thames Estuary (19% vs 62%) Road issues are slightly lower down the agenda than rail and aviation for Transport Journalists, though capacity and lack of funding are frequently mentioned concerns for this sector A quarter (24%) say that capacity/congestion/traffic on roads is a major transport issue and 22% mention a lack of investment and deteriorating infrastructure Lack of investment in roads or a suitable roads policy (45%) is the joint top reason for those Transport Journalists that are dissatisfied with the Government s current transport policies (35% of the total sample interviewed) 57% say that in the last 5 years the quality of service travelling by car provides in Britain has deteriorated and 65% say it will deteriorate in the next 5 years. 3

4 4 Current issue environment

5 Main issues facing Britain s transport sector What would you say are the main issues facing Britain s transport sector today? Categorised scores based on coded open-ended answers (%) Economics Rail Infrastructure/ capacity/ demand Roads Air Underground 5

6 Main issues facing Britain s transport sector What would you say are the main issues facing Britain s transport sector today? Individual codes, top mentions Capacity at London airports/expansion of aviation 32% Lack of investment/ funding (general) 32% Railway capacity/ overcrowding/ congestion 27% Roads - capacity/ congestion/traffic 24% Overcrowding/ pressure in all areas of transport/ networks 24% Roads - lack of investment/ deteriorating infrastructure 22% Lack of investment in the rail system/the need for expansion 19% Energy costs/scarcity of energy in the future/rising fuel costs 19% Environmental issues/ pollution/emissions 19% 6

7 Main issues facing Britain s transport sector Aviation constraints - expansion of aviation, so whether they put a runway at Heathrow, whether they put it at Gatwick, or whether they don't make that decision at all, the decision's not going to be made until after the election 2015, so it s already been put in the long grass, it's been going on for decades and no one seems to want to make a decision on it politically. It's still lack of long term funding, lack of investment, lack of spare capacity and overcrowding on the main modes of public transport The biggest airport is full, the Tube and rail network are creaking at peak times, all the main motorways grind to a halt in the morning rush. It's a perennial problem for Britain, we don't like to commit long term funds. What we need is sustained long term investment over a number of years, rather than drip drip stop start funding. Road congestion, especially as we come out of recession, people will resume using their cars to a greater extent, so there will be more cars on the road, they will be used more often. Rail congestion, particularly here in the South of England, will become an increasing problem. So the number of passenger journeys into London from Southern England, has grown by nearly a third in four years. For train services there is a problem in that on commuter trains there aren't enough carriages. There is an intention to increase that but I think it's miniscule what they intend to increase it to, and that isn't matched by any kind of reflection of the problems with the services and fares. Fares continue to escalate at a disproportionate amount to earnings and a rise in earnings - well, cuts in real terms in earnings. 7

8 Support of transport policies How strongly do you support or oppose each of the following possible transport policies? % Strongly support % Tend to support % Tend to oppose % Strongly oppose Railway electrification Simplifying rail fare structure Providing high speed rail network across Britain TfL having more responsibility for commuter rail services Investing in London to support jobs and economic growth High speed rail link London to Birmingham and Scotland Additional runways at Gatwick Increasing length of franchise contracts for TOCs Local congestion charging schemes Building additional runways at Heathrow Renationalisation of Britain's railways Additional runways at Stansted Building a new London airport in general Building a new airport in the Thames Estuary Support Oppose % 73% 19% 16% % 37% 8% % 37% 49% 40% 10% % 37% 13% 8% % 38% 13% % 17% 19% 37% 33% 32% 19% 24% 16% 5% 6% 13% % 17% 24% 17% % 29% 25% 8% % 19% 35% 14% % 14% 29% 33% 62 8

9 Sector impressions How favourable or unfavourable are your opinions and impressions of each sector? Favourable Unfavourable Favourable Unfavourable National bus/ coach companies Infrastructure/ engineering companies Local bus companies Domestic budget airlines Roadside breakdown/ motoring organisations Airport operators International airlines Rail operators Underground/ metros

10 Sector improvements For each mode can you tell me whether over the past five years/next five years you think it has improved/will improve, has deteriorated/will deteriorate or stayed the same/will stay the same in terms of the overall quality of service each one provides in Britain? % Has improved in last 5 years % Will improve in next 5 years Underground/ Metro Train Bus Rail freight Airlines Car Road haulage % Has deteriorated in last 5 years % Will deteriorate in next 5 years

11 Most impressive spokesperson on transport issues Who, in your opinion, is the most impressive spokesperson on transport issues at the moment? Top mentions Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport 11% Boris Johnson, Mayor of London 8% Christian Wolmar, Transport Journalist and Commentator Edmund King, AA 5% 6% Simon Calder, Transport Journalist Stephen Joseph, Campaign for Better Transport David Higgins, HS2 Chairman 5% 5% 5% 11

12 12 Views on current Government transport policy

13 Satisfaction with the present Government s transport policies How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement...? % Strongly agree % Tend to agree % Neither agree nor disagree % Tend to disagree % Strongly disagree I am satisfied with the present Government s policies on transport 3% 37% 25% 24% 11% Reasons for satisfaction Continued investment in rail (44%) Favourable mentions of high speed rail/hs2 (36%) Acceptance that expenditure on transport is good for the economy (32%) Policies are about right (32%) Reasons for dissatisfaction Runway issues/ policies on Heathrow (45%) No roads policy/not spending money on roads (45%) No railway policy/ franchise issues/west Coast mainline (36%) Haven't got a transport policy / policies never come to fruition (36%) 13

14 Transport priorities Of the following transport issues, which two or three do you think should be the highest priority for Government? Addressing overcrowding on existing train services Reducing the cost of travelling by train Investing to improve the reliability of existing train services Building a new high speed rail line Improve the condition of roads and pavements Increasing cycle numbers and facilities Decreasing the level of congestion on local roads and in towns Minimising the damage to the environment caused by car Increasing the frequency of local buses Reducing delays caused by roadworks Reducing the cost of using a car (e.g. petrol prices) Improving safety for car drivers and other road users Minimising the damage to the environment caused by aviation 52% 40% 38% 30% 25% 24% 17% 14% 8% 6% 5% 5% 5% 14

15 Areas to be protected from spending cuts Which one or two, if any, of the following areas of public spending on roads and public transport do you think should be protected from spending cuts? Spending to improve existing train services 63% TfL funding settlement Spending on road and pavement maintenance Spending to build a new high speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham and eventually Scotland Spending to reduce traffic congestion on roads e.g. improving junctions and traffic signalling Spending to increase air travel capacity, e.g. through airport expansion or new airports Spending to improve bus services None of these 29% 29% 24% 14% 13% 11% 3% 15

16 Transportation policies Of the current major political parties, which one do you believe has the most impressive transportation policies and agenda? Coalition Don t know 24% 13% 8% 5% 3% 3% 0% 27% 16

17 For more information, please contact: Chris.O