Transport User Voice – July 2020 – Chief executive’s editorial

30 June 2020

Lots of change but we’re still here for you

Big changes looming on 4 July as lockdown restrictions ease and social distancing guidelines alter. What are the implications of all this for transport users?

As you can see from this newsletter, we have been making sure there is a steady flow of feedback from transport users and people thinking about returning to travel. Our weekly omnibus survey of experiences and attitudes is being widely used by governments and the industry. Our Transport User Panel has been talking about social distancing in depth, among other topics. New online communities, including one focusing on disabled users, are kicking off – this will see some detailed discussions about options and opportunities. We are topping all this up with ‘scrapes’ of social media to see what people are saying. More of this data is now on our Data Hub – available and usable by all.

On top of all that we also launched our new podcast. This is a way for us to discuss all the latest transport topics. Unsurprisingly, the first episode looks at how transport is coping with the pandemic – have a listen.

This feedback loop will become increasingly important as more people start to travel. The enforcement of face covering rules is going be a hot issue. How passengers feel about the space around them will need careful monitoring. We will continue to look at what is happening on the roads – Motorway Service Areas, information and how delays are dealt with will all remain important as traffic levels rise.

In the meantime, the Transport Focus Board will be holding its bi-monthly Board meeting in public on Tuesday 21 July 10.30am – 1pm which will be live-streamed. Keep an eye on our website for details on how you can watch it. There will be a focus on the challenges currently facing the bus industry. Confirmed speakers so far include Graham Vidler, chief executive at the Confederation of Passenger Transport, Jane Cole, managing director of Blackpool Transport, and Jonathan Bray, director at the Urban Transport Group.

Longer term we are looking at how to push our insight gathering even more online, checking how diverse and inclusive that work is and making sure we restart more of our road user work. We are also using this time to refresh our website to make it more useful to you as users and make sure the information you need is more accessible. If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on this, please contact lee.rowbotham@transportfocus.org.uk.

So, stay safe, travel safely and always think of others when you’re moving around.

 

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