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7. Use of journey planning information and Traveline Scotland: adults (16+)
7.1 The interviewer asks the randomly selected adult about methods used to plan journeys or get travel information or advice for journeys that had been made over the month prior to the interview. Separate questions are asked about journeys made by (a) car, van, motorcycle or bicycle - i.e. some modes of private transport; and (b) bus, train or underground - i.e. some modes of public transport. Showcards are used to prompt respondents. Each type of journey planning ( e.g. "looked at a road map" or "asked a friend") mentioned by the person is recorded separately, but, if the answer is negative, only one response is recorded. With effect from the start of 2005, the question about planning journeys made by some modes of private transport has been asked only of a randomly-chosen half of the sample, so the results given here have been produced from data for two years (2005 and 2006) combined, in order to have a more reliable basis for analysis.
7.2 Methods used to plan journeys by car, van, motorcycle or bicycle in the past month
7.2.1 The top part of Table 10 shows that 19% of adults said that they had looked at a road map to plan a journey in the month prior to the interview. This was done by a greater proportion of men (24%) than women (15%), and by 25% of 30-49 year olds compared to 8% of those aged 70+. 11% of adults had used route planning software or an internet journey planner, with usage highest among men (14%) and adults aged 30-49 (17%). 8% of adults had asked a friend for help in planning a journey, with this done more often by those aged 16-29 (12%) than by older age groups; there was not much difference between the sexes 2.1% had contacted the place they were visiting for directions, 1.4% had used the Traveline web site, and 1.0% indicated that they had checked Teletext or Ceefax for information on roadworks or congestion. The other methods identified had each been used by under 1%. Almost three quarters of adults had not used any method to plan a journey made during the month, mainly because they already knew the route (33%), had not made any journeys by private transport (17%), or said that someone else planned the route (15%).
7.3 Methods used to get travel information or advice about journeys by bus, train or underground in the past month
7.3.1 The bottom part of Table 10 shows that 8.2% of adults said that they had used a timetable displayed at a station or a bus stop to get information about journeys by bus, train or underground in the month prior to interview. This figure was the same for both men and women, and highest for those aged 16-29 (14.6%). 6.4% had accessed the internet to get information: the percentage was higher for men (7.1%) and highest for 16-29 year olds (11.7%) and 30-49 year olds (8.5%). 5.3% had used a timetable delivered through the door or picked up at a station (with little difference between the sexes or age-groups). 4.5% said that they had asked a friend for information or advice about journeys by bus, train or underground. Again there was little difference between the sexes, but it was highest for those aged 16-29 (9.6%). 2.4% had telephoned Traveline (1.9% of men and 2.9% of women) and 1.2% had used the Traveline web site. The other methods identified had each been used by under 1%. Approximately four-fifths had not used any travel information or advice (45% because they had not made any journeys by bus, train or underground, and 21% because they had used the route before).
7.4 Traveline Scotland
7.4.1 Traveline Scotland is a telephone, internet, and SMS travel enquiry service providing public transport timetable and journey planning information to travellers in Scotland. It was set up at the end of 2000 and aims to encourage travellers to make greater use of public transport by providing customised information and comparisons about travel by all modes of public transport. The randomly selected adult is asked several questions about it. Because only a small proportion of people have used Traveline, the results given here are based on the data for two years (2005 and 2006) combined, in order to have a more reliable basis for analysis.
7.4.2 Table 11 shows the results. 17% of adults had heard of Traveline Scotland: 18% of men and 17% of women. Younger people were more likely to have heard of the service: over a fifth of 16-49 year olds had heard of it, compared to 16% of those aged 50-69, and 8% of those aged 70+. Overall, 5% of adults said that they had used Traveline Scotland; 4% of men and 5% of women. Usage varies with age; 7% of 16-29 year olds had used the service, compared with 6% of 30-49 year olds, 3% of 50-69 year olds, and only 1% of those aged 70+.
7.4.3 Adults who had heard of Traveline Scotland were asked:
- how they had come to hear about the service - the most common of the responses that were separately identified were word of mouth (20% of those who had heard of it), advert at a station, bus stop, airport, etc (18%), and television report or advert (17%).
- which of the methods given they would use to access the service, if they were available - 20% said they would use "internet using a mobile phone", 18% electronic kiosks at bus/train stations, and 16% said they would use digital TV.
7.4.4 Adults who had used Traveline Scotland were asked:
- how many times they had used the service in the past two weeks - 69% of users had not used it in the past fortnight, 19% had used it once, 7% had used it twice, and 5% had used it three or more times;
- how they prefer to use to contact Traveline Scotland - 51% of users said telephone, 50% internet using a PC or laptop, and 2% said they had no preferred method.
- whether they have made any public transport journeys which they might otherwise have made by car as a result of information from Traveline Scotland - 14% of those who had used the service said that they had. When asked how many times this had happened in the past two weeks, 85% (of the 14%) said none, 12% said once, and 3% said twice or more.
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