3 out of 4 Londoners back increased funding for TfL

People from London are nigh-on top of the charts in their support for their public transport system, according to a major new global survey commissioned by Hitachi Rail.

The study found that a whopping 70% of Londoners opt for public transport for their commute rather than travelling by car. The choice is backed up by the fact that three-quarters (75%) of Londoners find public transport to be convenient, contrasted to just 24% who find driving convenient. In this context, it is no surprise that the vast majority of Londoners (77%) back increasing funding for their chart-topping public transport system.

Turning to what motivates Londoners to choose public transport over travelling by car, respondents are most likely to point to the importance of frequent services (91%) and speed of journey (89%).  This is a significant change from the findings from the same set of questions in Winter 2022, which found that Covid-19 safety measures was the single most important factor for determining journey choice. In contrast, such measures are now deemed as the least important in a long list of potential motivating factors (dropping from over 90% listing it as important, to only 53%).

When asked about barriers, would-be passengers pointed to overcrowding as the most likely reason they would avoid public transport.

The survey, carried out by SavantaComres, collected data from 12,000 people in 12 different cities around the world, including London, Milan, Berlin, Paris, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Singapore, Dubai and Sydney.

Jim Brewin, Chief Director of UK & Ireland at Hitachi Rail, said: “Our new research underlines how much Londoner’s rely on their public transport system, with 70% using it for their commute. Londoners back public transport because it is well connected, and it has fast and frequent services that make it convenient. This chimes with our experience around the world, of how to deliver the seamless, sustainable transport that we need if we are to achieve a net-zero future.”

Hitachi Rail is helping to deliver seamless, sustainable transport in cities around the world. The company is an expert in every part of the railway and is able to use its manufacturing and digital signalling expertise to deliver urban transport solutions such as its cutting-edge autonomous metros in Milan and Copenhagen.