SECTION 3. Opinions on Transport

Workers were asked: “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with this way of getting to and from work?”

About the same proportion answered “satisfied” as in January. There is a slight decrease in dissatisfaction, the proportion doubtful being rather higher.

Attitudes are less favourable than in August, 1942. On the whole the results of the present survey approximate fairly closely to those of January. In view of the differences already noted in blackout times and weather these results confirm that the transport situation has become relatively rather worse.

The decrease in dissatisfaction as compared with January is most marked in the case of trams and trains. Of those using trams, 10% are doubtful as compared with 4% in January.

The differences between occupation groups are less marked than in January. The heavy industry group still shows a relatively high proportion dissatisfied. In the case of light manufacture (l) and of mining, attitudes are more favourable than in January. The present inquiry shows average proportions only dissatisfied in these two groups, whereas in January the proportions were relatively high.

In the case of other groups the figures compare fairly closely with those for January.

As in January, S. Wales shows the highest proportion dissatisfied but there is considerable improvement in this region, The north east, north west and south also show some improvement. In East Anglia the proportion dissatisfied is rather higher than in January. Other regions show small differences only.

Analysis by situation of work place (central, inner and outer areas) as in January shows that a slightly higher proportion of those who work in outer areas are dissatisfied, but this difference is only slight.

(No analysis was made by size of town of the January results.)

It will be seen that dissatisfaction is less in smaller than in larger towns. It will be remembered that in smaller towns workers less frequently used public transport services, and that those walking and cycling to work are less frequently dissatisfied than those using public services.

The trend is the same as in January, those taking longer over the journey being more frequently dissatisfied. However, it will be seen that of those with journeys of more than half an hour, smaller proportions are dissatisfied possibly because of the differing blackout and weather conditions at the two periods, since a long journey is more objectionable when made in the cold and darkness than in autumn conditions.

As in January, breakdowns of these results by sex and age show only small differences.

Workers who said they were satisfied, or who were doubtful, were asked: “Is there anything at all you find a nuisance or trying as far as the journey to or from work is concerned?” This question was included, as in January, because it has been found that people are sometimes reluctant to proclaim themselves “dissatisfied”, feeling that they must expect to put up with some inconveniences in war time.

It will be seen that results compare very closely with January.

Altogether 51% in Sept. - Oct. and 57%°in January had some complaint, 28% and 34% respectively at the two period being definitely dissatisfied, and a further 23% acknowledging that they were not altogether satisfied when pressed.