Some congestion, yesterday
Targeting young people at key ‘trigger points’ in their lives could get them out of their cars and onto buses and trains, according to new Government research.
The Department for Transport is looking for new ways of getting young people out of their cars and thinks that timing is everything.
In the new study, which could also be called ‘stating the bleeding obvious’, researchers found that young people’s travel changes, like moving to a new educational institution, into training or work, and starting to use new sports and leisure venues, were the ‘trigger points’ at which they could be tempted onto a bus.
The enlightening research, which also looked at people older than 50, also came up with the breakthrough that is: ‘Driving itself was a source of enjoyment for some.’
It also recognises that ‘whilst it is likely to be harder to persuade car ‘enthusiasts’ to stop using cars than those who were neutral or sceptical about cars’.
The Government hopes to use the research to find ‘new directions’ in which to take transport policy in the future.
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton said: ‘Offering alternatives to the car at key points in young people's lives could play an important part in our efforts to encourage them onto public transport at an early stage, getting people into the habit for life.
‘It also reinforces the importance of legislation like the Local Transport Bill, which will help local authorities address some of older and younger people's key concerns about transport, such as reliability and frequency of services.
‘I am committed to taking the needs of a wide variety of social groups into account when deciding transport policy. This is the only way we can effectively move towards a sustainable transport system that works for everyone.’
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