As a consultancy involved in only transportation issues Peter Davidson Consultancy (PDC) can contribute a deeper insight to travellers’ perspectives and have developed a full spectrum of research methodologies and analyses to best meet the particular needs of transportation problems.
PDC offers clients a comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative market research capability covering: research assessment, questionnaire design, fieldwork, analysis and reporting. We are at the leading edge in the development and refinement of new research methodologies and have a proven track record of successfully completed research projects. Covering both qualitative and quantitative methods in this way, we believe we can best derive innovative and practical solutions to meet the needs and aspirations of people both now and in the future.
Our quantitative market research capability, founded upon stated preference (sp), covers the full range of statistical methods including random, cluster and quota sampling methodologies through to statistical modelling with normal, Poisson and other error structures.
Our qualitative expertise has been widely used to offer a fundamental understanding of travel choice mechanisms. Our research findings have been used as evidence at Public Inquiries and as support for grant applications, including LTP submissions.
Here are some brief details about some projects we have conducted in this area.
Passenger Statistics Advice to the Latvian Government
Date: 2003
Providing guidance and advice to the Latvian government regarding the collection of passenger statistics throughout the country. As a part of the Latvian application to join the European Community the Latvian Government were required to bring their collection of passenger mobility statistics in line with those required by the EU.
One of the most complex aspects involved developing their methodology for collecting household daily mobility statistics and Peter Davidson Consultancy (PDC) designed the methodology; questionnaire, fieldwork, expansion, analysis and potential results and implemented it. A fieldwork company undertook the fieldwork and PDC designed the data and analysis paths and undertook the more complex analytical tasks including using relationships calibrated from the survey to estimate future growth in car traffic. This showed that their annual growth in car traffic might soon be in double figures.
Southend Household Travel Diary Research
Date: 2000
We undertook a Borough wide study to research Southend residents travel patterns and their attitudes to public and personal transport infrastructure in Southend Borough. The ultimate purpose of the study was to determine the factors that could assist the Borough Council to fulfil their obligations to the Road Traffic Reduction Act and Government White Paper on the Future of Transport. The learning and Baseline from household travel diaries and attitudes to transport and environment issues to be enhanced to the County’s Local Transport Plan for the next five years.
The Southend Borough is an independent unitary and being in the neighbour of Essex County, its travel and economics are reliant of Essex. Hence the questionnaire from Essex study was used with some alterations to suit Southend Borough’s LTP.
A total of 500 household travel diaries and attitudinal surveys were conducted Borough wide, the sample was equally spread in each of 13 Electoral wards. The one day travel diary recorded all trips made by each member of the household, whilst inquiring into the main respondents long and short trips made by car.
DATELINE
Date: 2000 to 2003
This project provides passenger transport statistics at European level. As yet no high quality database is available. The DATELINE project presents concepts, methods and potential for implementing a homogenous European travel survey of long distance mobility in all the Member States of the European Union, based upon an international network of expertise. The four specific objectives of the project were to:
- Develop a survey design for long-distance passenger travel to be applied to all Member States. It will address the needs of the respondent and implement the state-of-the-art in travel behaviour surveys.
Implement these surveys in all Member States (a total of 60,035 household travel surveys –10000 in UK and Ireland).
Create a database to provide answers to planning related issues and provide input or analysis.
Integrate this database in both a national context and in the EUROSTAT statistical programme. DATELINE is building upon the successful Fourth Framework projects Method for European Surveys of Travel Behaviour (MEST) and Technologies for European Surveys of Travel behaviour (Test). The EUROSTAT Statistical Programme is monitoring and supporting the