Survey: Satisfaction with public transport in the capital is high – bus transport is used the most
Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT), in cooperation with Turu-uuringute AS, conducted a public transport satisfaction survey in Tallinn, which showed that 82% of Tallinners are satisfied with the public transport service.
According to Deniss Boroditš, Chairman of the Management Board of Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS, the most important message of the results of the satisfaction survey is that despite the tense situation caused by the corona crisis, the company is able to offer a high level of public transport services.
“TLT’s ability to ensure the operation of Tallinn public transport at a consistently high level is proved by the favorable attitude of the townspeople to our efforts in disinfecting and cleaning public transport, renewing rolling stock, and organizing planned and customer-friendly public transport. The collected data helps us to map the expectations of the citizens and to plan future plans in order to make public transport even more attractive and user-centric,” added the chairman of the board of TLT.
Boroditš said that according to the results of the survey, 76% of the residents of the capital use public transport in Tallinn, whereas there are practically the same number of users of public transport and their own car for daily trips. “Compared to the 2018 survey, the share of pedestrians has increased, mostly in the downtown area, which is probably related to the spread of the coronavirus,” said Boroditš. He added that the most commonly used mode of public transport is a bus, with 36% of daily users, followed by a trolley (10%) and a tram (9%).
According to Deputy Mayor Andrei Novikov, the survey showed that Tallinn is moving in the right direction by investing in public transport, and the city will certainly continue to support and develop this area. “According to the survey, 37% of car users promised to seriously consider switching to public transport if there were fewer transfers on their daily journey, 21% would change to a bus or tram if the intervals were shorter and 20% if the stop was closer to home. We are on the right track, and we will continue to work to reduce the traffic load, which in turn will help save the environment, “said Novikov.
“As a service provider, a high level of service satisfaction is important to us – 82% of public transport users are satisfied with the TLT service. As many as 95% of regular public transport users and 96% of young people aged 15-19 are satisfied. Only 4% of the respondents are dissatisfied,” emphasized the chairman of the board of TLT, acknowledging all drivers and passengers for keeping this result. He also specified that tram traffic is the most satisfied (87% of respondents), 78% of respondents are satisfied with buses, and 62% are satisfied with trolleys. According to Boroditš, the level of satisfaction with different modes of transport is likely to be affected by both the novelty of the vehicle fleet and the timetable. “Considering that the capital’s tram fleet has been largely renewed and the vehicles on the route have already undergone a refurbishment course, but the renewal of the bus fleet has only just begun, some difference in satisfaction is understandable,” he said.
The satisfaction survey also revealed that 70% of Tallinn public transport users are in favor of electric buses, 67% of new tram connections, and 61% of gas buses.
“We also have good news for those who prefer environmentally-friendly public transport vehicles – TLT is still testing a new possible electric bus today, which could be used by city residents in the coming years. This year, the transition to gas-powered buses will also take place – today, all 100 renewable fuel buses have already arrived in Tallinn, replacing the oldest buses. The renewal of the bus fleet continues. The goal of TLT is to switch to environmentally friendly public transport by 2025 and to electric transport by 2035,” Boroditš described.
Satisfaction with the cleanliness of public transport also remains high – passengers with public transport value the cleanliness of trams (80%) and the cleanliness of buses (73%) the most. “Satisfaction with the cleanliness has certainly been facilitated by the tightening of cleaning schedules as well as the fact that in older buses that have been on the route for a long time, we have updated the seat covers and the interior of the buses by introducing materials that can be better maintained. We will definitely continue to update the interiors of older vehicles and frequently clean the contact surfaces during the period of viruses,” the chairman of the board of TLT explained the innovations made to keep us satisfied.
The Tallinn public transport satisfaction survey was conducted in cooperation with Turu-uuringute AS. Following the corona crisis, the survey was conducted in two phases, in March and September 2020, as face-to-face interviews. Five hundred residents of Tallinn responded to the survey. The results of the survey can be extended to the corresponding population of Tallinn and are comparable to the results of previous years. In conclusion, the study explained that the reputation of TLT AS is high in the eyes of passengers. The company is considered to be developing, up-to-date, taking into account the needs of the citizens, and open.
