Scottish Household Survey: Transport
Summary of the uses of each topic area of the Scottish Household Survey
Travel to Work or Education:
This topic area provides the data underpinning the Scotland Performs national
Indicator and context around modal choice and policy levers/incentives for
achieving shift. It has been utilised by various bodies and organisations in
order to monitor modal choice and modal shift. The variables in this section
are of particular interest to the area of travel behavioural research, providing
key insight into the drivers of modal choice which aids development of policy
to encourage modal shift.
These variables have been used by the SG for a range of purposes, from a
paper informing the National Indicator on travel to work to the evaluation of
the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) programme, to a briefing paper
for the NHS Health Scotland regarding adult and child cycling levels.
This information is used by Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and
Local Authorities (LAs) as indicators for SOAs, Local Transport Strategies and
Local Development Plans, as well as in the Development Management
process and the preparation of Travel Plans. It is also used by RTPs to
monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the RTS.
In 2010 the Scottish Government launched the Cycling Action Plan for
Scotland (CAPS). Information generated here assists with the evaluation of
the success of the policy drive. Related agencies such as Cycling Scotland
draw on this data to monitor modal share and measure their success, their
partners’ success and their stakeholders’ success in achieving greater figures
of active travel to work (which brings us back to the National Indicator).
Questions on modal choice and the context around these choices allows the
formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policies aimed at reducing car travel
and increasing active travel and use of the public transport network. Thereby
informing progress and contributing to the delivery of National Outcomes
(NO). The information in this section contributes to NO 6 (healthier lives
through increased physical activity), NO 10 (accessible, sustainable
communities through increased use of a quality public transport network), NO
14 (reducing environmental impact through reduced harmful emissions and
improving air quality by reducing car use) and NO 15 (high quality public
services).
Public Transport:
This topic is used regularly by SG providing context for modal shift and
informs the National Indicator regarding travel to work being used in a
relevant paper drawn up by Transport ASD. It is important to understand the
drivers of behaviour and so this topic was used when developing a
specification for qualitative research about why people do not use the bus to
identify how much is known and what gaps in the information exists.
This topic is used by SG in order to monitor the SCSP programme and has
been used for contextual information around public transport usage for
inequalities briefings (including for Equalities Budgeting briefings)/reporting on
equalities duties and EQIAs.
This information is used by local authorities as indicators within Local
Transport Strategies, Strategic Environmental Assessments and Corporate
Plans - all feeding into SOAs and by Nestrans for annual monitoring against
RTS objectives.
Questions to users and non-users of public transport around the (perceived)
quality and safety of public transport allows the formulation, monitoring and
evaluation of policies and funding initiatives to improve the public transport
network.
By informing progress and contributing to the delivery of NO 1 (improving
efficiency of business by reducing journey times through reducing car use),
NO 10 (accessible, sustainable communities through increased use of a
quality public transport network), NO 14 (reducing environmental impact
through reduced by reducing car use) and NO 15 (high quality public
services).
Concessionary and Blue Badges:
Regularly used by Transport ASD to provide bus policy team with advice and
analysis. Data was essential in monitoring & evaluating National
Concessionary Travel in Scotland (NCT) scheme. Used in the 3 year review
of the policy and as part of the evidence for revising the reimbursement rate
allocated to bus operators
Information on Blue Badge and Concessionary Travel pass ownership and
use has been used to help us understand the travel experiences of disabled
people. This kind of data is used in equalities reports and EQIAs, as well as
for contextual information in policy documents (such as the recent Blue Badge
consultation).
Used by LAs and transport organisations such as SPT in the development of
parking strategy, for example in the case of the Blue Badge scheme it informs
councils on where to best place disabled parking bays.
Questions to users (and non-users) of policy initiatives allow the monitoring
and evaluation of these initiatives. The NCT scheme was established to
increase the accessibility of vulnerable groups, increasing social inclusion and
maximising use of public transport.
This information informs progress relating to NO 7 (reducing inequalities by
increasing access to the disabled and elderly), NO 10 (accessible, sustainable
communities through increased use of a quality public transport network) and
NO 15 (high quality public services).
Active Travel – Walk & Cycling:
Frequently used by SG to identify policy levers for modal shift (from car to
active travel), such as an analytical paper examining wider uses around the
National Indicator on travel to work and by Transport ASD for monitoring and
evaluation of the SCSP Programme - understanding national trends and
comparator with locally collected data.
Used as part of the modal shift indicator set within LA's SOAs (and RTP
monitoring strategies). This data is also used by RTPs (e.g. Nestrans) annual
monitoring report to compare cycle ownership across the region and also to
compare with levels of car ownership.
Commitment exists within the SG's recently published Cycling Action plan to
continue to collect information on bicycles across Scotland. Cycling Scotland
uses information at sub Scotland level (in conjunction with physical activity
participation) to assess current levels of development and potential for future
participation in cycling.
Questions on access to bicycles and levels of walking allow the formulation,
monitoring and evaluation of policies and infrastructure projects aimed at
increasing active travel.
Thereby informing progress and contributing to the delivery of NO 6 (healthier
lives through increased physical activity) and NO 14 (reducing environmental
impact through reduced harmful emissions and improving air quality by
reducing car use).
Car Travel:
Used by SG as contextual analysis on transport and characteristics of
people/households with a car/who drive. For example for: analytical paper on
travel to work, Smarter Choices Smarter Places baseline research and
monitoring, EQIA and equalities reporting. It is also a vital component of
Transport Scotland's LATIS model.
Used by LAs within Local Transport Strategies, Strategic Environmental
Assessment and Corporate Plans feeding into Single Outcome Agreements.
(In Clackmannanshire the data is also passed on to other Council
departments for use in other plans such as the Sustainability Strategy.)
This information feeds into the current Dft Car Ownership model and also
helps inform the National Indicator, allowing comparison to be drawn between
active/public travel and car usage.
The information on car sharing is an important provider of context for modal
shift and also informs the National Indicator. This data is used in the Nestrans
annual monitoring report to assess progress against the RTS objectives.
Nestrans has a carshare database and therefore comparison with other areas
is useful.
Sustainable travel initiatives encourage people to reduce car use and
increase active travel and use of public transport. Questions on car travel and
behaviours allow the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policies aimed
at increasing active travel.
Thereby informing progress and contributing to the delivery of NO 6 (healthier
lives through increased physical activity), NO 10 (accessible, sustainable
communities through increased use of a quality public transport network) and
NO 14 (reducing environmental impact through reduced harmful emissions
and improving air quality by reducing car use).
Traffic Growth and Congestion:
This topic informs and provides context for the National Indicator: Reduce the
proportion of driver journeys delayed due to traffic congestion. It was recently
published with NS publication (Household Transport 2009) as it's used to gain
an insight into how congestion impacts on behavioural change.
Sustainable travel initiatives encourage people to reduce car use, impacting in
levels of congestion and journey times. Questions on congestion allow the
formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and transport infrastructure
which can improve the speed, reliability and network coverage of the transport
network.
Thereby informing progress and contributing to the delivery of NO 1(improving
efficiency of business by reducing journey times and raising productivity), (NO
6 (healthier lives through increased physical activity), NO 10 (accessible,
sustainable communities through increased use of a quality public transport
network) and NO 14 (reducing environmental impact through reduced harmful
emissions and improving air quality by reducing car use).
Road Safety:
Used by SG to corroborate reported road casualty data collected from the
police. The UKSA draft assessment report included a requirement to estimate
the level of injury accidents that are not reported to the police. If contained
within their final report then SHS data will be essential in this estimation
process.
Information has been used in conjunction with Falkirk Council’s own records
to compare against national trends on road accidents.
Presented in a discussion article within Reported Road casualties Scotland.
Draft requirement from the UKSA assessment of road casualty statistics
requires this information for comparison purposes. LAs also use this for the
same purpose and HMICS have identified it as playing an important role in
future.
Road Safety:
Used by SG to corroborate reported road casualty data collected from the
police. The UKSA draft assessment report included a requirement to estimate
the level of injury accidents that are not reported to the police. If contained
within their final report then SHS data will be essential in this estimation
process.
Presented in a discussion article within Reported Road casualties Scotland.
Draft requirement from the UKSA assessment of road casualty statistics
requires this information for comparison purposes. LAs also use this for the
same purpose and HMICS have identified it as playing an important role in
future, while this information has been used in conjunction with Falkirk
Council’s own records to compare against national trends on road accidents.
Informs delivery of progress of NO 9 (through increased road safety)
Travel Planning:
Travel planning is an important planning tool as part of encouraging
sustainable travel (modal shift) this data has been used to compare National
data against local data collected via the Smarter Choices Smarter Places
policy initiative. It will again be used after the 3 year initiative has ended to
evaluate the wider impact of it on areas outwith the local schemes.
Much effort has been ploughed into encouraging travel planning. The Smarter
Choices, Smarter Places policy initiative is midway through its 3 year
schedule and travel planning plays a large role. It is essential that we are able
to monitor the impact of this.
Sustainable travel initiatives such as travel planning encourage people to
reduce car use.
Informs progress and contributes to the delivery of NO 1 (improving business
efficiency by reducing congestion, improving journey times), NO 14 (reducing
environmental impact through reduced harmful emissions and improving air
quality by reducing car use) and NO 15 (high quality public services).
Air Travel:
Newly asked in 2009 as information on the number of flights made exists but
not the frequency and purpose of flights made by individuals. Important to
identify regional comparisons depending on proximity to airports. Will provide
contextual information for Climate Change agenda.
Will also be used to assess cross border behaviour and identify policy levers
in modal shift (encouraging rail travel within the UK), important in the
development of High Speed Rail links.
Questions on air travel would identify the demographics of those using air
travel and the frequency by which they do. Identifying the reasons for modal
choice would enable the formulation and monitoring of policies which could
improve accessibility (e.g. of island communities) and reduce unnecessary
flights. Impacting on NO 1 & NO 14
Travel Diary – Journeys Made:
TD data is regularly used by the SG to analyse trip making patterns and
behaviours. Transport Scotland and MVA regularly use TD data to calibrate
transport models, analyse travel behaviour and identify impacts of household
location and car ownership on mode choice. It is also used by Transport ASD
in the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Smarter Choices Smarter Places
(SCSP) Programme, both to understand national travel trends and to compare
local data collected in the programme against.
Travel Diary information has been used by SG for analytical papers on travel
to work and transport integration. This included new analyses of data
(undertaken on request by transport statisticians), as well as referring to data
published in the SHS Travel Diary statistical bulletin.
A particular use of the TD data by SG has been to analyse multi-modal a
multi-stage journeys – there is no other Scotland/LA level data on this (NTS
TD data is not always readily available and does not always have appropriate
sample sizes)
Data from the Travel Diary is used by council's such as Fife, Edinburgh and
Clackmannanshire in the preparation of, and as indicators of Local Transport
Strategy, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Corporate Plan which
feeds into Single Outcome Agreements. The data is also passed on to other
Council departments for use in other plans such as the Sustainability
Strategy.
Questions on modal choice and the context around these choices allows the
formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policies aimed at reducing car travel
and increasing active travel and use of the public transport network.
Informs progress and contributing to the delivery of NO 6 (healthier lives
through increased physical activity), NO 10 (accessible, sustainable
communities through increased use of a quality public transport network), NO
14 (reducing environmental impact through reduced harmful emissions and
improving air quality by reducing car use) and NO 15 (high quality public
services).
Travel Diary – Parking Payment
This section will be vital for MVA to calibrate car parking within local/ regional/
national transport models. It can enable a relative comparison of the costs
from using P&R compared to driving the whole way and parking at the final
destination. This can help tailor incentives to encourage modal shift.
Information derived here advises councils on car parking provision and
charging regimes. It is an important policy area as LAs look at ways of
increasing revenue. This is also an important issue for Nestrans in relation to
the Regional Transport Strategy and the Local Transport Strategies.
This section provides contextual reason around mode choice, therefore
informing progress and contributing to the delivery of a number of National
Outcomes, for example NO 6 (healthier lives through increased physical
activity), NO 10 (accessible, sustainable communities through increased use
of a quality public transport network) and NO 14 (reducing environmental
impact through reduced harmful emissions and improving air quality by
reducing car use).
Congestion:
Data from the Travel Diary is used by council's such as Fife and
Clackmannanshire as indicators for Local Transport Strategy, Strategic
Environmental Assessment and Corporate Plan which feeds into Single
Outcome Agreements. The data is also passed on to other Council
departments for use in other plans such as the Sustainability Strategy. This
information is used to inform Falkirk Council of hotspots on the network when
allocating sites in the local Development Plan.
This section informs progress and contributes to the delivery of NO
1(improving efficiency of business by reducing journey times and raising
productivity), NO 6 (healthier lives through increased physical activity), NO 10
(accessible, sustainable communities through increased use of a quality
public transport network) and NO 14 (reducing environmental impact through
reduced harmful emissions and improving air quality by reducing car use).
This section also provides the data underpinning the Scotland Performs
National Indicator.