Portsmouth residents could have the chance to share their views on transport services and highways in the city, from the conditions of roads and footpaths to the quality of cycle paths.
Portsmouth City Council is one of 111 local authorities to sign up to a standardised survey that will ask members of the public exactly the same questions, whether they live in Portsmouth or elsewhere in the country.
The National Highways and Transport (NHT) Survey, which is being run for the 16th 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 3300 Portsmouth residents from 16 June, followed by a reminder, with local and national results to be published in late-October 2023.
It’s voluntary to complete and will cover all aspects of local highway and transport services. It should be completed in around 15 minutes. Those taking part in the survey will also be entered into a prize draw, with the winner receiving £500 and runner up prizes of £150 and £50 available to 2nd and 3rd places.
Residents that receive the questionnaire can complete it online instead of the paper copy if they prefer. A short web link will be printed on the front of the questionnaire, and they will be required to enter a code before completing it.
The results will enable the council to find out what people in Portsmouth think about these important services and how they should be prioritised to help assess how it is performing.
The 2022 version of this survey showed that Portsmouth ranked joint second in overall satisfaction of all 111 local authorities, scoring 56% against the NHT average of 50%. The city also scored highly on specific areas and was ranked 2nd nationwide for highway maintenance and 3rd for walking and cycling.
The survey is being carried out on behalf of participating local authorities by market research specialist, Ipsos MORI. Since it’s based on a sample, residents that receive a copy are being urged by the NHT Network to take part.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Transport said:
“The National Highways and Transport public survey is a great way for people to have their say on issues that are important to them, whether that’s making better and more connected cycle paths, or improving roads for everyone who uses them. I encourage anyone who receives the survey to complete it, as it helps everybody involved to spot national, local and regional trends. We can then identify areas of best practice and deliver the best outcomes for local people.”
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