Brussels, 11/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Less than a third of Europeans (32%) make use of public transport at least once a week. This is a regrettable situation because seven out of ten Europeans believe that urban transport services are satisfactory and easily accessible. A recent Eurobarometer survey published on Wednesday 11 June illustrates this strange disparity and also highlights the fact that six out of ten Europeans are not happy with ticket prices.
Almost 70% of Europeans say they are satisfied with public transport, such as buses, trams, trains and underground systems. Only a third, however, use these services regularly and a quarter have never used public transport at all. Citizens in Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and France are those most satisfied with their public transport systems. Those most dissatisfied are in Malta, Cyprus and Slovenia. The level of use of public transport use also varies significantly according to whether one lives in the city (50%) or the countryside (20%).
The relatively infrequent use of public transport is puzzling because almost eight out of ten Europeans (77%) live less than a 10-minute walk away from public transport facilities. Purchasing tickets could be the crux of the problem, with only half of respondents saying tickets are easy to purchase and six out of ten not happy with ticket prices.
European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas said that this Eurobarometer survey certainly provides food for thought: “We have to understand why public transport is not used more regularly, how to improve service in smaller towns, and respond to the changing needs of urban mobility to meet people's demands”. (MD)