Methodology
A quantitative online survey was launched on 10 October 2022 and was open for four weeks. The survey was promoted through a letter to households in the Port Solent area to maximise consultation engagement and subsequent response rate.
- Whilst the majority of journeys from the area are made by private car or van (80%), over a third of residents are using buses or taxis
- Over half of respondents are travelling frequently (5+ days a week) and mostly for shopping, to see friends and family, travelling to a leisure activity and travelling to a health appointment
- 1 in 5 bus or taxi users are spending over £50 on their journeys per month, however 38% hold a concessionary bus pass and so do not spend anything on their travel in the area
- Appeal of the demand responsive transport service is high; almost two thirds of respondents ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ would use the service
- All routes were popular with at least 80% of respondents saying they would use each one, however the services to North Harbour Tesco and Southampton Road/ Racecourse Lane would be used most frequently. The service to the QA Hospital was most popular but would be used less frequently than the other routes
- Usage would be busiest on weekdays and Saturdays between 09:00-12:00 but remains fairly consistent across the rest of the week regardless of day
- Respondents would prefer to book the service via a smartphone app; this is high across all ages. Booking via telephone might also be useful, particularly for those aged 65+
- A large proportion of potential users would use the service to get to a bus or train (85%), an inclusive ticket appeals to this group
- Reasons for being unlikely to use the service include not travelling often enough, routes being inconvenient, concerns over booking the service and the operating times of the service
