Brighton and Hove to survey 6,000 residents about Highways and Transport

Friday, 8 July 2011. Brighton & Hove residents will be asked what they think about their local highways and transport services, in a survey that will take place later in July.

A questionnaire is being sent to a minimum random sample of 6,000 Brighton & Hove residents with local and national results expected to be published later in the summer. Since the survey is based on a sample, all residents who receive a copy are being urged to take part.

Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, said: “We are committed to involving residents and listening to what they have to say. The results will help us assess how we are performing, prioritise services and to improve the service to communities.”

Nearly 70 Local Authorities across the UK will take part in the survey, from the National Highways & Transport Network (NHT) and the regional Highways Service Improvement Group. It is believed to be the first attempt to involve a number of separate highway authorities in a comparable survey format. Councils will be able to compare results, share best practice and identify opportunities to work together in the future.

Peter Radford, Chair of the NHT Network Survey Steering Group said: “There are clear benefits to conducting a public survey in this way. As well as providing excellent value for money, it also enables everyone involved to identify areas of best practice and spot national, regional and local trends.

“This is not about producing a league table to champion one geographical area over another, it is about understanding customer views better and working together to deliver the best possible outcomes for local residents.”

Details
The survey is the result of a collaboration between the National Highways and Transport (NHT) Network and the South West Highway Service Improvement Group. It is being carried out on behalf of the participating councils by market research specialist, Ipsos MORI.

Participation in the survey is voluntary. It is believed to be the first survey of its kind to bring together a large number of separate highway authorities from all over England and parts of Wales to carry out their surveys in a comparable format

The survey questionnaire covers all aspects of local highway and transport services (e.g. from the condition or roads and footways to the quality of local bus services). It should take around 20 minutes to complete.