Surveys

The Combined Authority runs an annual survey to better understand West Yorkshire residents’ perceptions and attitudes towards transport and infrastructure in the region.

West Yorkshire Public Perceptions of Transport Survey

The Combined Authority is one of 34 contributing Local Transport Authorities to a new 'Your Bus Journey' Survey managed by Transport Focus. Throughout 2023, passengers (at bus stops and on-board buses) aged 16 years or older were asked to self-complete the Your Bus Journey questionnaire (online or paper).  The overall survey captured passenger experiences on 35,000 journeys, and within West Yorkshire, there were 922 responses and data has been weighted to be representative of the demographics of passengers by gender and age and journey time.

Your Bus Journey Survey 2023

The Combined Authority commissioned an on-line panel survey to gain some insight into West Yorkshire Residents' use and perceptions of the £2 single and £4.50 fare caps (Mayor’s Fares) that were introduced on 04 September 2022.

The survey was conducted from 12 to 24 October 2023 to represent one year on from the launch and 1,028 responses were received from residents aged 19 to 65.  The age range 19 to 65 was chosen to encompass the target audience for turn-up-and-go Adult fares. 

Mayors Fares Panel Survey Results

The Combined Authority commissioned a face-to-face survey to gain insight into use and perceptions of the £2 single and the £5 day fare caps (Mayor’s Fares) that were introduced on 04 September 2022, funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan. The survey was conducted over 10 weeks from 08 October to 22 December 2024, two years after the launch of Mayor’s Fares. This face-to-face survey follows on from a smaller on-line panel survey conducted in Autumn 2023. 

The results of the survey are a statistically representative sample of the target audience for turn-up-and-go adult fares (ages 19 to 65). Weighting has been applied primarily to residents’ responses by deprivation index, local authority district, age and gender.  Secondary weighting was applied based on distance from the postcode point to a bus stop with a frequent service. 

Mayors Face-to-Face Survey Results

The Combined Authority conducted an online survey of MCard customers to gain a better understanding of bus and rail users travel habits and ticket preferences.

The survey was conducted between August and September 2024 using an online survey platform, achieving a total of 3,549 responses.

MCard Bus and Rail User Survey 

West Yorkshire Combined Authority have recently completed some major investment in bus services within West Yorkshire, with two schemes ‘Network Enhancements’ and ‘Superbus’. After Mayor’s Fares these initiatives combined make up the second biggest investment in bus services within the West Yorkshire Bus Service Improvement Plan package.

Network Enhancements and Superbus involved the introduction of some new services and some services with enhanced daytime and / or evening frequency, to improve passenger experience and boost patronage. This survey was undertaken after the introduction of Phases 1 and 1.5 of these service enhancements in 2024 and is intended to provide insights into the impact of this significant investment on buses in West Yorkshire.

Network Enhancements and Superbus Survey 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Research and Intelligence have been running a Transport Recovery Survey since June 2020.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority COVID-19 Transport Recovery Survey

West Yorkshire Business and Skills has commissioned a business survey to gauge the views of business on a range of issues. The team are in the process of procuring a supplier and beginning field work for the 2023 Survey.

Business Survey 2021

Business Survey 2022

Business Survey 2023

Business Survey 2024

West Yorkshire Combined Authority wanted to understand how businesses were dealing with the increased cost of doing business. We commissioned two panel surveys to compare West Yorkshire with UK-wide results.

Dynata Data tables West Yorkshire

Yonder Data tables UK

The Gainshare Fund forms part of the Devolution Deal. The Investment Fund is a 30 year, £38 million per year fund that began in 2020.  The West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund (WYTF) forms part of the Growth Deal. The Investment Fund is a 20 year, £1 billion fund that was agreed in 2014 and began in 2015.

The Combined Authority are conducting an online survey  as part of a wider evaluation to generate evidence for the five yearly Gateway Review process carried out by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (formerly MHCLG). The survey is aimed at stakeholders involved in economic development in West Yorkshire. This is the first wave of the survey; the second wave will be in Spring 2024.