From the forests of Thetford to its renowned coastline, Norfolk is one of England’s largest counties by area, with a population nearing one million and a growing demand for modern infrastructure.
Every day, thousands of people travel within Norfolk for work, education, healthcare and the abundant number of visitor attractions. The county plays a vital role in the UK economy, contributing through its thriving agriculture, tourism and offshore energy sectors, including renewable energy from the North Sea.
These are just a few of the reasons why understanding how residents, businesses and visitors feel about travel and transport is crucial. This insight will support sustainable growth, advance Norfolk's net-zero goals, and empower communities across the county to thrive.
We surveyed people from across the East, asking about they travel behaviour, choices and reasons for travelling. Insights for Norfolk from the survey have been compiled into a comprehensive report, available below.
How and where was the survey conducted?
- A 25-minute online survey was conducted between 18 March – 17 April 2024.
- In Norfolk, there were 944 responses from across the county's districts.
- Demographics were not controlled for when recruiting respondents. This means data in the report is weighted to be reflective of the relative sizing of age and gender from the Census for each district.
What did the survey tell us?
Car and walking are the most used modes of transport across all journey purposes.
Only 11% of respondees said they choose cycling for their journey, yet 39% of respondees own a bike.
5% of respondents use rail frequently, yet 44% indicate they will use the rail in the next 12 months.
25% of respondents use the bus, however, a key limitation is fewer early/late services, where 29% is dissatisfied.
Active Travel: Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
- Most journeys are made by walking and results from the survey suggest this will remain the case during the following 12 months.
- For those who don't regularly walk, 27% of respondents said time constraints was the main barrier. Fitness levels were considered a barrier by 24% of respondents, with 23% saying weather impacted their choice.
- 69% of respondents perceive it to be important to make more sustainable travel choices, and additionally, 60% of respondents support further investment into infrastructure making it easier to walk.
- Despite 39% of respondents owning a bicycle, only 10% report that they use this as a mode of transport in a typical week.
- The key barriers and concerns of respondents is safety. Concerns with road traffic was the top barrier at 42%. Weather and lighting of cycle routes were other common reasons for not choose cycling.
- 26% of respondents want to cycle more in the future, but segregated cycle lanes and improved lighting are important to achieve this.
Driving, Roads and Electric Vehicle uptake
- The car is likely to be the second most used transport mode in the 12 months following the survey.
- One key reason for this is convenience - 62% for drivers and 59% for passengers.
- One in two parents use the car when taking their child to school, as time constraints or distance limit their alternatives to the car.
- Only 28% of car users reported being satisfied with the condition of roads.
- Currently, 6% of car users own an EV or plug-in hybrid.
- 36% of respondents indicate they intend to purchase/lease an EV in the next 5 years, however, 56% of those surveyed said the costs associated with purchasing an EV are the biggest barrier.
Public Transport: Bus and Rail
- The bus is the most used mode of public transport, with 20% of respondents using it, primarily for commuting to work.
- A key limitation for not choosing buses is a limited number of early/late services - 29% of respondents are dissatisfied with the availability in their area.
- The biggest barrier to travel by bus among 47% of respondents is the inconvenient/non-direct routes.
- 5% of Norfolk respondents regularly use the train, but answers suggest this could significantly increase in the future.
- 64% of respondents are satisfied with local rail services in the county.
- However, 23% of all train users are dissatisfied with the cost of using the rail, creating a barrier to choosing this mode of transport.
Additional Information
How travel and transport impacts current work and shopping behaviours
61% of Norfolk respondents are currently working in a typical week - one of the key reasons people are making journeys. Of this group, only 7% work from home all of the time, with the rest travelling to the place of work all or some of the time. The average commute currently takes 25 minutes, although this increases to 31-32 minutes when including cycling and bus journeys. 88% of respondents start and finish their journey in Norfolk.
Around 40% of respondents visit their nearest town or city for non-food shopping, yet 77% of respondents are also using home deliveries regularly or sometimes.
Views on travel and climate change
69% of respondents think in general, it's important to travel sustainably. However, only 43% agree that sustainable travel is important to them, and only 33% consider to be taking sustainable transport options currently. This suggests respondents think sustainable travel is important but are not actively travelling in this way.
Respondents showed an interest in schemes that could make a difference, including quieter neighbourhoods with reduced traffic, clean air zones, and initiatives to increase the number of public transport routes and services.
Views on funding priorities
Respondents listed the three top funding priorities as:
- Improving road conditions
- Enhancing the number of public transport services
- Subsidised ticket cost for local bus services
In a scenario where road charging were to be introduced to address the gap in funding, respondents agreed that it should be based upon emissions from the vehicle, or the size or weight of the vehicle used – both seen as fair ways to address any gaps in funding.