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Inaugural Eurobarometer report highlights Europeans’ satisfaction with public transport

Posted: 12 June 2014 | The International Association for Public Transport | No comments yet

Europeans are broadly satisfied with urban public transport according to a new study from the European Commission revealed at the European Mobility Conference, co-organised by UITP…

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Europeans are broadly satisfied with urban public transport according to a new study from the European Commission revealed today at the European Mobility Conference, co-organised by UITP (International Association of Public Transport).

The Eurobarometer, which surveyed 28,036 Europeans on their happiness with various aspects of public transport, reveals that in 23 of the 28 Member States, at least 60% of people show ‘high’ or ‘good’ satisfaction. Luxembourg topped the list (88%), followed by Latvia (83%) and Finland (82%). Meanwhile, Malta showed the lowest overall satisfaction at 31%.

69% of Europeans were satisfied with the frequency of their public transport; 58% were satisfied with passenger information whilst the rest of the criteria (punctuality/reliability, cleanliness, security, ticketing and routes taken) were met with 58-70% satisfaction. The one criterion falling beneath the 50% mark was ticket pricing, with which just 39% of Europeans are satisfied.

“The results of the inaugural Eurobarometer show Europeans are mainly satisfied with their public transport, with frequency levels scoring particularly highly. If we take into account the importance passengers give to each criterion, strong evidence shows that demand is much more sensitive to frequency than fares,” said Alain Flausch, UITP Secretary General. “More work needs to be done therefore to communicate to passengers the true cost of mobility.

“Europeans’ general satisfaction with their public transport is supported by UITP’s own research, which shows that public transport ridership has risen consistently across the EU in the past decade, with the exception of when the crisis was at its worse in 2009,” Mr. Flausch added.