Publication of the Public Transport Journey Planning in Northern Ireland statistical report 2017/18

The Public Transport Journey Planning in Northern Ireland 2017/18 report is now available. This report, produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), presents findings from the 2017/18 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) and this is the second year that this question set was included in the CHS.

The publication is available on the ASRB website at:

• Public Transport Journey Planning in Northern Ireland 2017/18

Key points

The key points for 2017/18 are:

• The resource most respondents were aware of for accessing information on public transport for journey planning was timetables, either on the Translink website (62%) or via hard copy (58%). These results show an increase from 2016/17 (55% and 54% respectively).
• There are large differences in awareness of journey planning resources across age groups. Nearly three out of ten (29%) of those aged 65 and over were aware of the availability of timetables on the Translink website compared with over three quarters (77%) of those aged 16 to 24. Awareness is significantly lower for those aged 65 and over for all Translink journey planning resources, with the exception of hard copies of timetables. This is in line with last year’s results.
• 71% of respondents said they used some form of journey planning resource, which is an increase from 63% in 2016/17. 12% didn’t use any form of planning resource and 17% didn’t use public transport. These results both show a decrease from 2016/17 (18% and 20% respectively).
• Of the respondents who used journey planning resources, 58% used a timetable on the Translink website, 38% used a hard copy of a timetable, 23% used the Journey Planner on the Translink website, 21% used the Journey Planner on the Translink mobile app and 14% used the Translink call centre. These results are similar to last year.
• There are large differences in how those from different age groups access information, for example, 68% of 16 to 24 year-olds use timetables on the Translink website compared to 28% of those aged 65 and over, whereas those aged 65 and over are much more likely to use a hard copy of a timetable (73%) than those aged 16 to 24 (31%). These are in line with last year’s results.
• There are also differences in awareness and use across other societal groups, such as disability, deprivation and economic activity. Further detail is contained within the report and supplementary tables on various breakdowns.

Notes to editors: 

1. The information presented in this publication derives from the 2017/18 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to public transport journey planning. This was the second year that this question set was included in the CHS. The CHS is considered to be a representative sample of the population at household level.
2. A total of 2,787 adults aged 16 and over were surveyed in 2017/18 and 2,785 provided a response to the initial question.
3. It contains information on the proportion of people who are aware of the various methods of journey planning available on Public Transport, the proportion who use journey planning methods and the types of journey planning method used. The Department will use the information presented in this publication to assist transport providers in identifying improvements to passenger information, including how technology can best be utilised to promote awareness of and access to public transport services.
4. This is an Official Statistics publication and therefore follows the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.  You can find further information about the Code of Practice at: Statistics Authority
5. For more information relating to this publication, including additional analysis, breakdowns of data, or alternative formats please contact: Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch, Room 4.13c, Clarence Court, 10 - 18 Adelaide Street, Town Parks, Belfast, BT2 8GB.  
6. Telephone: 028 9054 022; E-mail: asrb@nisra.gov.uk. Website: Statistics and research. 
7. All media enquiries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office on 028 9054 0007 or email press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk. Out of hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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