6 July 2023 – The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research into public attitudes, travel needs, and behaviours regarding travel following the pandemic and in response to other challenges, such as the rising cost of living and climate change.

The research involved an online survey of a representative sample of 2,345 adults aged 16-75 across England, 10 online focus group discussions in November 2022 to supplement the survey findings and 15 in-depth interviews to follow-up and explore key topics in February 2023.

The report compares data from November 2022 and November 2021 and in the three months immediately before the pandemic period.

Key findings include:

• In November 2022, just under a third of people (30%) said they avoided public transport due to concerns around Coronavirus, a proportion which had fallen since November 2021 (46%). However, it is notable that nearly a third of people said they did avoid public transport for this reason. Focus group discussions highlighted the importance people placed on adequate ventilation and cleanliness.
• When people in November 2022 were asked what would encourage them to use public transport more, financial incentives were most mentioned, along with more frequent and punctual services, whilst issues related to Coronavirus (ventilation, low numbers of Coronavirus cases) were mentioned less.
• A third of people (33%) agreed they found it difficult to choose the most suitable ticket when travelling by public transport. Focus group participants suggested that clearer and more visible information about current ticketing options was needed.

Read the full report: Our changing travel – how people’s travel choices are changing