The REAP Transport Group seeks ways to improve transport sustainably, and to balance the need for travel and transport against the overriding requirements of the environment, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, and the interests of local residents.

REAP Transport Survey

REAP surveyed Farmer’s Market goers at the July Market.  High level comments were submitted to Local Councillors in Roundhay, the Leader of the Council and our local MP.

Findings

66 surveys were completed. 72% of responders were of working age, and 23% were retired, with 5% being students or children. Although not all questions were answered by all responders, we identified some important messages:-

• Major priorities were to improve the bus system (41%), and to improve cycling provision (23%). There was also reference to traffic calming, developing a tram system, and introducing local Park and ride arrangements;
• 65% of responders used cars daily, and another 25% at least weekly;
• 63.3% used cars to get to work, compared to 34% using buses for this purpose;
• Only 13% of responders used buses daily, despite the high proportion of people of working age. Just 34% of people used buses most often to get to work, compared with 59% who used them for shopping;
• 50% of people responding said that buses went where they wanted them to, but 40% said they did not, and 10% did not know.

Conclusions

Despite the methodological limitations of the survey, it was notable that only a relatively small proportion of responders regularly used local bus services to get to work, despite the fact that most of them were in fact working. While it would be wrong, with a sample of this size, to extrapolate these findings too readily to Leeds as a whole, it is clear that many people use cars to commute instead of buses.

Factors predisposing people not to use buses included cost, but, from the number of comments made, more important were perceived shortcomings in both the routes, and to a lesser degree the frequencies, of local services.

There was a general perception that operators have focused excessively on the most profitable arterial routes into Leeds, at the expense of more peripheral and cross suburban routes. But even the arterial routes were not considered optimal, as was shown by the lack of a direct route from Roundhay, past St James, to serve staff and patients at one of the biggest employers and public destinations, in the Region. The need to change buses clearly discourages some travellers from using local transport, and this must be a particular issue for anyone with mobility issues.

A commercially driven focus on the most profitable routes for the operators, which neglects the needs of passengers, is unlikely best to support the continuing economic development of Leeds, and is likely to lead to increasing congestion, as commuters increasingly use their own cars.

Possible solutions

Cost issues might be addressed by better ticketing arrangements – for example a value for money through ticket, similar to the London Oyster Card, could incentivise greater public transport use by reducing prices paid by passengers and could also improve convenience.

There would also seem to be major scope to reroute existing services so that they serve some badly served destinations, including the hospitals, better.

A more directive approach, under which the operators are required to operate certain routes to a specified standard and frequency on the London model, could encourage local travel, and provide an economic stimulus to some suburban areas by encouraging commuter, retail and wider commercial access.

It is however clear that the current situation, where bus routes are determined by the operator on commercial grounds, is not meeting the perceived needs of local service users.

If you are interested in joining us in our work to promote a greener approach to transport in Roundhay, please contact REAP.