A survey of critical business leaders on behalf of Transport for London.
Date Published: 12 Dec 2012
Description
The business community backs the case for stable and sustained investment in London's transport services
• Survey shows strong support from businesses and business membership organisations for investment in the capital’s transport infrastructure to support jobs, economic development and growth in London and across the UK.
As the Board of Transport for London (TfL) today considers the organisation’s Business Plan, a survey by ComRes has shown that there is significant support among the business community for the Mayor and TfL’s case for stable and sustained levels of funding for the capital’s transport network, to support economic development and growth in London and across the UK.
Business cited the upgrade of the Tube, construction of Crossrail and investment in roads as their top three investment priorities for TfL. Of those surveyed, over three quarters of businesses and business membership organisations, representing more than 13,500 members in total, agree that funding for transport projects in London helps support jobs across the UK (76 per cent) and 90 per cent agree that it is important to maintain levels of investment in transport infrastructure in the long-term and not vary it year by year. The business community also tends to believe that sustaining investment in transport is very important to London’s future economic competitiveness (79 per cent) and agree that any cuts to investment in transport would damage London’s businesses in the long term (95 per cent).
London’s population is expected to reach nine million by 2018, according to latest Office for National Statistics figures. TfL’s new Business Plan sets out plans for investment in the capital’s transport network over the next three years to 2014/15, the period of TfL’s current financial settlement with Government. However, it also sets out the Mayor’s priorities and TfL’s plans for investment in the capital’s road and rail networks for all users and passengers over the next decade, making the case to the Government for stable and sustained levels of funding to support investment in transport infrastructure, supporting economic growth and keeping pace with rising demand.
ComRes surveyed 68 of TfL’s key business stakeholders, which includes individual businesses and business organisations representing more than 13,500 members, through an online survey between 5 October and 5 November 2012. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules (www.britishpollingcouncil.org).