[L]ocal people are being asked for their views on Cumbria’s highways and transport services – from the condition of roads and footpaths to the quality of cycling facilities.
Their answers will be compared with the views of other members of the public across England and Scotland, thanks to the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey.
Cumbria County Council is one of 112 local authorities to sign up to a standardised survey that will ask members of the public exactly the same questions, whether they live in Cumbria, Coventry or Cambridgeshire.
The survey, which is being run for the tenth year, is the largest collaboration between local authorities offering the opportunity to compare results, share in best practice and identify further opportunities to work together in the future.
The questionnaire will be sent to a minimum random sample of at least 3,300 of Cumbrian residents from 19th June, followed by a reminder, with local and national results to be published in mid-October 2017. Since the survey is based on a sample, residents who receive a copy are being urged to take part.
Residents who receive the questionnaire can complete the survey online if they prefer, a short URL link will be printed on the front of the questionnaire and they will be required to enter a code before completing the questionnaire.
The results will enable us to find out what people in Cumbria think about these important services. This will provide one of several ways Cumbria County Council can assess how it is performing. It gives the public an opportunity to say which services they think the council should prioritise, and improve.
Stephen Hall, Cumbria County Council’s Assistant Director, Highways, Transport and Fleet, said: “Providing a well managed highway and transport network is one of the council’s top priorities and we welcome feedback and comments from residents and road users. There are clear benefits to conducting a public survey in this way. As well as providing excellent value for money, it also enables everyone involved to identify areas of best practice and spot national, regional and local trends. This is not about producing a league table to champion one geographical area over another, it is about understanding customer views better and working together to deliver the most satisfactory yet efficient outcomes for local residents.”
- The National Highways and Transport (NHT) Network is a unique collaboration between Local Authorities across England and parts of Scotland with a common agenda – service improvement. The Network provides an environment in which members can measure their own performance, compare with their peers and identify areas for improvement.
- The NHT Network and the Public Satisfaction Survey are managed by performance management specialists, measure2improve, the NHT Network administrators.
- The survey is being carried out on behalf of the participating Local Authorities by market research specialist, Ipsos MORI.
- Participation in the survey is voluntary. It is believed to be the first survey of its kind to bring together so many separate highway authorities from all over England and parts of Scotland to carry out their surveys in a comparable format.
- The survey questionnaire is 12 pages long and covers all aspects of local highway and transport services (e.g. from the condition of roads and footways to the quality of local bus services). The questionnaire should be completed in around 20 minutes.
- Residents that receive the questionnaire in the post may opt to complete the questionnaire online if they prefer.
- Last year’s survey results and more information available via www.nhtnetwork.org
- A full list of the 112 Local Authorities that have signed up to take part in the 2017 survey is available on request.
