Wales National Travel Survey: Publication options feedback

Summary of stakeholder feedback

 

Revision Final

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Issue Date 29 November 2024

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In Autumn 2024 we contacted stakeholders to understand their preferences for the statistical publications from the Wales National Travel Survey (WNTS), once available. We contacted over 150 stakeholders and received 35 responses, a response rate of 23%. These stakeholders had previously expressed an interest in the WNTS or attended one of the Stakeholder Engagement Sessions in Spring 2024.

The majority of the responses come from colleagues involved in transport policy, working mainly at Transport for Wales, Welsh Government, Local Authorities and local government groups. We will continue to monitor feedback and engage with users and interested groups as we continue to develop the WNTS.

 

2.1. Preferred publication options

We presented five different publication options for topic-specific releases, including a visual example of how they would look, details on their length, format, and how quickly they would be available to users. Respondents were asked to rank the options in their order of preference.

Responses have been scored on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = least preferred and 5 = most preferred. Scores are presented as a percentage of 175, the maximum score available (35 * 5 = 175).

Figure 1: Preference of publication options (percentage of maximum score)

The most preferred publication option was an interactive chart tool, followed by a medium-length data article and short summary. The two longer options, detailed bulletins and mode factbooks, were less popular. Figure 1 shows how the publication options scored.

 

2.2. Demographic and geographic preferences

We also asked respondents for their preferences on demographic and geography breakdowns to inform analysis priorities. Respondents were allowed to select all options that aligned with their interests. Figure 2 shows the percentage of respondents who selected the available options.

Figure 2: Preference of demographic and geographic variables (percentage of respondents)

Transport behaviours and patterns by Welsh language ability (43%) and Ethnicity (71%) were the least popular of the response options presented. The remaining options all scored very highly. Given the long-term absence of a Wales-specific National Travel Survey, this is unsurprising.

 

2.3. WNTS use cases

The WNTS is designed to monitor progress against commitments outlined in Llwybr Newydd: The Wales Transport Strategy 2021 and Net Zero Wales targets. However, we have incorporated stakeholder feedback to deliver value to a wider group of users. When asked how they will use data from the WNTS, respondents mentioned a range of policy, evaluation and planning uses:

• “To understand transport behaviour within and across Wales”
• “To inform policy development at a national and regional level and inform budget setting”
• “For transport planning and policy development across Wales”
• “As evidence to support project assessment”
• “Establishing the baseline for travel patterns”
• “Understanding the impact over time of national transport strategy”

These uses are in addition to the use cases identified in the engagement work undertaken in Autumn 2023 with policy colleagues, and wider stakeholders in Spring 2024.

 

Based on this feedback, the WNTS project team will develop and test an interactive chart tool, alongside developing a framework for short bulletins and data articles. We will consider additional tools to express the strengths, weaknesses and additional context of the data to users concisely. We will engage with stakeholders and users to ensure these tools meet their user needs, and to further understand their content preferences to effectively prioritise analysis.

We will continue to reach out to potential stakeholder and user groups as the WNTS develops.

 

The publications options paper was published on Transport for Wales’ website  as a standalone document.

Below details the questions and response options from the short questionnaire to stakeholders. Instructions to the respondents are included in squared brackets.

1. First Name

[Enter your answer]

 

2. Surname

[Enter your answer]

 

3. Organisation (If applicable)

[Enter your answer]

 

4. Email address

[Enter your answer]

 

5. What geographical breakdowns of data would you be interested in seeing published?

[Select all that apply]

• National Level
• Regional Level
• Local Authority Level

 

6. What demographic breakdowns of data would you be interested in seeing published?

[Select all that apply]

• Age
• Sex/Gender
• Disabled/Non-disabled
• Welsh language ability
• Ethnicity
• None of the above

 

7. Please rank the below WNTS publication options in order of preference

[Rank from 1-5, with 1 being most preferred]

• Short summary
• Interactive chart tool
• Data article
• Detailed bulletin
• Mode factbooks

 

8. Will the data collected be of interest to you when published?

[Select one]

• Yes
• No

 

9. What will you use the WNTS data for?

[Enter your answer]

 

10. If you prefer a different type of data publication, geography or demographic breakdown, please let us know in the below box.

[Enter your answer]

 

11. Would you like to be kept up to date with future developments and engagement opportunities related to the Wales National Travel Survey?

[Select one]

• Yes (via email)
• No