08/10/2008

• New Stagecoach survey finds growing shift from car to bus and rail
• Climate change and health concerns help drive cut in motoring
• Results show huge potential benefits from Yes vote for TIF package

Motorists in Manchester support greater use of public transport and are already making greener travel choices, according to a major new survey.

Public transport operator Stagecoach today (8 October 2008) released the results of a survey revealing that 8% of people in Manchester have already ditched the car in the past three years.

And a massive 34% of car users contacted as part of the poll told researchers that they would find it easy to switch to public transport.

The findings come only two months before Manchester votes on the £3billion Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) package that would deliver an extended Metrolink tram system, increased capacity on local rail services, and extended coverage and capacity on the region’s bus network.

Stagecoach, which has attracted 30% more full fare paying passengers in the past 10 years, carried out a random telephone poll of more than 2,000 people in Manchester, a third of whom currently use the car.

It found increasing awareness of the impact of lifestyle choices, including car use, on the environment and a growing willingness to switch to more sustainable travel options:

• 67% of all those contacted in the survey said using a car less was important/very important
• 60% believe climate change is an issue to worry about now

The survey identified that in the last three years:

• 50% of those who had changed mode had switched to bus travel
• Key drivers were health issues (13%), price reasons (9%) and environmental concerns (4%)
• 40% were using their cars less
• 28% were making more use of trains
• 47% were making more use of buses
• 27% were using a more fuel-efficient car

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “These are very encouraging findings, which prove there is a huge potential to attract car users to greener, smarter public transport. It is particularly significant as Manchester prepares to vote on the TIF package, which would deliver faster bus services, smarter ticketing and cleaner air quality for millions of people in the city.

“We are fully behind Greater Manchester’s vision for a high-quality, integrated public transport network for the region. This research shows that a yes vote in the forthcoming referendum would offer a further massive incentive to encourage intelligent car use, helping people reduce their carbon footprint and tackle the challenge of climate change.”

The Stagecoach survey also found a rise in greener lifestyles in Manchester in the past three years. Some 72% of people said they had cut down on gas and electricity use, while 87% were recycling more.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications,
T. 01738 442111 (office) or 07764 774680 (mobile)
E. steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.

The Stagecoach research involved a random telephone survey of 2014 people in Manchester in July 2008.

Stagecoach operates around 690 buses in South Manchester, including Trafford, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop. The Group is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Metrolink system.

Stagecoach has invested £21m in new greener buses in Manchester in the past two years. The company’s buses carried 87 million passengers in Manchester between May 2007 and April 2008, an increase of 3.5% on the previous year.

Last year, the Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association, of which Stagecoach is a key member, unveiled a package of proposals for the region’s bus network. The Moving Greater Manchester Forward strategy was one of the key initiatives that formed the basis for the development of the TIF Bus Partnership, which is ground breaking in its scale and ambition. Network development, social inclusion, reliability improvements, safety and security and improved vehicle standards, issues of infrastructure and bus priority measures, together with fares and easy to understand multi-operator/modal ticketing are all incorporated in the partnership plans.