Survey: Two thirds of Pirkkala residents have a positive attitude towards the tramway
A new survey suggests that people who live close to the Pirkkala-Linnainmaa tramline, which is currently being built on sections between Kauppi campus and Ruotula and between Sori Square and Partola, have a positive attitude towards the tramway. The survey, which was commissioned by Tampere Tramway Ltd and provided by IRO Research Ltd, revealed that 84% of respondents who live close to the new tramline have a positive attitude towards the tramway, whereas 9% feel negative about it. The survey was then extended to the whole municipality of Pirkkala and showed that of all residents, 66% have a positive attitude towards the tramway, whereas the percentage of residents with a negative view is currently 19.
– Now that the construction of the new sections of the tramline has begun, we wanted to find out what people think about the tramway both along the new route and in the whole municipality of Pirkkala. With this survey, we hoped to learn the attitudes and opinions of residents, and what kind of information they require about the tramway. We want to serve the needs of the growing city region, as well as the needs of residents of Tampere, Pirkkala and other regional municipalities, says Pekka Sirviö, CEO of Tampere Tramway Ltd.
People find it easy to travel by tram
In general, respondents feel that the tramway has a positive effect on their lives. Half (55%) of people living close to the tramline feel that the tramway makes their home municipality a nicer place to live. A clear majority (62%) believe that the tramway increases the appeal of their area of residence.
The respondents widely agreed with the survey statements concerning tram commute. A majority of the survey participants feel that commuting on the tram meets their expectations (84% of residents close to the tramway versus 80% of residents of Pirkkala municipality) and that commuting on the tram is easy (82% of residents close to the tramway versus 80% of Pirkkala residents.)
Half (50%) of the respondents living close to the section of the tramline where construction work is currently in process accept the temporary inconveniences caused by the construction work to their lives. In addition, 31% of the respondents somewhat tolerate such disruptions.
A clear majority of the respondents (78%) feel that they have received enough information about the tramway. More information is mostly needed about the progress of the construction work (as indicated by 22% of respondents) and about the extension of the tramway (19% of respondents.)
– There is plenty of information about the tramway, for example about regional plans, available online on the website tampereenratikka.fi. People can follow the progress of the Pirkkala-Linnainmaa tramline construction work at the web address pirkkalalinnainmaa.fi. It is also possible to subscribe to a newsletter about the construction work on the Alliance website, says Sari Mäkelä, Head of Communications of Tampere Tramway Ltd.
About the consumer survey
The goal was to survey the opinions and attitudes of residents who live close to the Pirkkala-Linnainmaa tramline’s first phase (sections between Kauppi campus and Ruotula, and Sorin aukio and Partola), as well as residents of the whole Pirkkala municipality, regarding the tramway. Follow-up studies will be carried out on a regular basis. The results are utilised to develop Tampere Tramway and in its communications and marketing.
The target group was residents of areas close to the first phase of the Pirkkala-Linnainmaa tramway, aged 15-75. The sample size was 318 respondents and they were quota sampled for place of residence (tramway max. 800 m / rest of Pirkkala), gender and age group.
The data was collected by means of computer-aided telephone interviews at IRO Research Ltd’s own telephone interview center. A sufficient sample of persons who belong to the target group was purchased from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency for data collection purposes. In order to target the register picking, the survey commissioner provided IRO with a “tramway max. 800 m” list of streets.
The first Tampere Tramway consumer survey was performed in 2017. Back then, 56% of Tampere residents viewed the tramway positively. A follow-up study is carried out each year, and in 2024, 89% of respondents in Tampere had a positive attitude towards the tramway.
Further information:
Pekka Sirviö
CEO Tampere Tramway Ltd
Tel. +358 (0)40 334 5798
pekka.sirvio@tampereenraitiotie.fi
Sylva Vahtera
Account Director
IROResearch Oy
Tel: +358 (0)400 964 439
sylva.vahtera@iro.fi