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The research aims to provide thorough, reliable
information on local public attitudes to transport infrastructure
in order to highlight funding and investment priorities.
The survey, undertaken by Ipsos MORI and commissioned by CSS, shows the Government’s drive to shift Britain to a green transport future is failing to persuade people to leave their cars at home.
While 45 per cent of people regard traffic jams in their own areas as having got worse in the last five years, it seems that they would rather put up with it than see congestion charging introduced in Britain’s towns and cities.
Back in 2003, 72 per cent regarded local congestion as a problem. Six years later, the figure has reduced to 57 per cent. Over the same period, support for congestion charging outside London has fallen from 37 per cent to 27 per cent.
But, while Britons are still very much wedded to their cars, there are also some glimmers of hope with users of public transport particularly positive about improvement.
The 2009 survey found that:
- 85 per cent of British adults have used a car in the last month (89 per cent in 2003).
- 44 per cent (2003 50 per cent) have travelled by bus and 27 per cent (2003 35 per cent) by train in the last month.
- Just over a third of bus users (34 per cent) now say local bus services are better than they were five years ago.
- 23 per cent of regular train users say that local railway services have improved in the last five years compared with just seven per cent in 2001.
- 19 per cent of Britons believe that facilities for pedestrians and cyclists have improved, but cyclists are more complimentary, with 30 per cent saying things are better.
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