Community Transport User and Awareness Survey 2026

Overview

Essex County Council (ECC) would like to hear about your experiences of Community Transport services and your transport needs. We are carrying out this survey to better understand how people use Community Transport, how aware residents are of the services available, and what difference these services make to local communities.

Community Transport services play an important role in helping people access healthcare, shopping, education, employment, social activities and other essential destinations. They provide transport for residents who may be unable to access mainstream public transport due to mobility needs, disability, location, or other barriers.

Community Transport services currently support around 370,000 passenger journeys each year across Essex and help many residents remain independent, active and connected to their communities.

We are carrying out this survey to:

• Understand how Community Transport services are being used.
• Identify what works well and what could be improved.
• Understand barriers facing people who do not currently use Community Transport.
• Identify unmet transport needs.
• Gather feedback on operator websites and information availability.
• Help shape future funding and commissioning decisions.

The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Alternative Formats

If you are unable to complete the survey online, a downloadable hard copy version of the survey is available Here

Completed paper surveys should be returned to:

IPTU - Community Transport Survey
Integrated Passenger Transport Unit
Essex County Council
County Hall
Market Road
Chelmsford
CM1 1QH

All paper responses received will be included in the final analysis alongside online survey responses.

All responses will be considered as part of this research. Individual responses will remain confidential and will only be reported in summary form.

Why your views matter

This is the first countywide survey specifically focused on Community Transport services in Essex.

Community Transport services play an important role in helping residents across Essex access healthcare, shopping, employment, education, social activities and other essential services. They also help many people remain independent, active and connected to their communities.

We are seeking feedback to better understand how people use Community Transport services, how aware residents are of the services available, and the difference these services make to people's daily lives.

Your feedback will help us:

• Understand how Community Transport is supporting local communities.
• Measure awareness of available services.
• Identify barriers to accessing Community Transport.
• Better understand unmet transport needs.
• Gather feedback on information, communications and provider websites.
• Identify what is working well and where improvements could be made.
• Build an evidence base to support future planning and decision-making.

Whether you currently use Community Transport, have used it in the past, have tried to access a service, or simply want to learn more about the services available in your area, your views are important to us.

All responses will be treated confidentially and reported anonymously. Thank you for taking the time to share your views.