Highways Agency

Tackling Barriers to Change

Focus group research during campaigns helped explore the underlying attitudes of regular car drivers. For those users where rail gives a 'reasonable' alternative the choice of the car appears to be significantly influenced by the:

• perceived high costs of train relative to car;
• uncertainty about the interchange and the integration with bus services;
• uncertainty regarding parking locations and space;
• unreliability of feeder buses

Although poor services may be a problem which needs to be addressed, the issues of false perception was highlighted. A major value of a campaign is the scope to change perception through the provision of better information. In some cases this may be all that is necessary to achieve modal change.

Feedback on the Campaigns

A major part of the focus group research was concerned with awareness of, and attitudes to, the campaign strategy and content. The results are particularly useful in the design of future campaigns. Participants expressed numerous suggestions on how the campaign material could have been made more effective, including the need for:

• clear information on costs and discounts;
• improved clarity of the leaflets;
• provision of integrated ticketing; and
• use of positive rather than negative images.

Working Together

• The pilot campaigns were particularly valuable in testing and developing institutional relationships between the HA and other transport authorities and operators.
• All three campaign partnerships were formed relatively quickly thus enabling campaigns to be launched within relatively short timescale.
• Train operators welcomed the support of the HA which brought added insights and knowledge with regard to the car travel market;
• The ability to extend traditional marketing strategies by accessing the HA's specialist knowledge, showed that the HA can 'add value' and lend additional credibility to campaigns. The use of roadside posters to target car users is one such example.

What Have We Learnt?

• The three pilots confirmed that campaigns have an important role to play in highlighting the unsustainability of the current transport system. Soft approaches to behavioural change are a vital ingredient of the package of measures required to encourage more appropriate use of the car.
• Effective marketing of the alternatives to the car helps break down one of the key barriers to change -lack of information;
• Good communication is achieved with a simple message repeated through a wide range of different media.
• Campaigns require consultation and research at the design stage. This ensures that the appropriate message is relayed in the most effective manner given the timescale and budget.
• The most effective media is the most expensive and has the longest lead-time. Large poster sites, bus-stop, radio and TV advertising, all require lengthy advance planning.
• Good public relations, through which substantial media coverage can be achieved at low cost, are vital.
• Campaigns help build partnerships and emphasise the willingness of other different bodies to work together to improve integration of the transport system.

Interested in learning more?

If you want to know more about the way you might mount a campaign in your area, you can obtain advice from any of the following:

Malcolm Cook,
Project Services Toolkit,
The Highways Agency,
D4 Broadway,
Broad Street,
Birmingham B15 1BL
Tel: 0121 678 8082
email: malcolm.cook@highways.gsi.gov.uk

Stephen Bland,
Don't Choke Britain,
Nexus,
Cuthbert House,
All Saints,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 2DA
Tel: 0191 203 3333
email: steve.bland@nexus.org.uk

Highways Agency Consultants:
Mary Thomas,
Oscar Faber,
Marlborough House,
Upper Marlborough House,
St Albans,
AL1 3UT
Tel: 0181 784 5784
email: mary.thomas@oscarfaber.co.uk

	http://www.ger.co.uk/
http://www.nexus.org.uk/	http://www.angliarailways.co.uk/
http://www.lga.gov.uk/	http://www.doingyourbit.org.uk