Stressed and Ignored - AECOM’s 2019 Future of Infrastructure Report Says Londoners Want More Say and Less Politics in the Development of the City’s Future Infrastructure

60% of Londoners are finding it increasingly stressful to travel on public transport and more than half (57%) think the private sector should be more involved in infrastructure development, according to the results of a survey launched today by global infrastructure services firm AECOM.

The global research, which forms part of AECOM’s 2019 Future of Infrastructure Report, surveyed more than 10,000 people across 10 major international cities for their views on city infrastructure, priorities for improvement and ambitions for future infrastructure. While nearly three-quarters (70%) of those surveyed in London use public transport as their primary method of travel, almost a quarter (23%) struggle to get to where they need to go on time (rating the reliability of public transport as poor/very poor).

39% of those surveyed in London would be willing to pay higher taxes to help fund infrastructure improvements and 47% would be happy to share their personal data with relevant city agencies to deliver better services. In contrast, only 25% would be willing to pay higher fares for public transportation in the future. Indeed people in London – alongside Riyadh – show the most concern about the cost of public transport, with 38% describing it as unaffordable. Despite these concerns, of the ten cities surveyed London ranks third in terms of its citizens’ satisfaction with infrastructure, behind only Hong Kong and Singapore.

However, engagement is a key issue for Londoners with over half of respondents (55%) saying they haven’t had the chance to feedback on transport services during the past year and almost a quarter (23%) feel that city officials are not clear about the ways to submit their views on infrastructure. Some 50% of those questioned in London think that, when they are asked to feedback, it is too late in the process for their voice to be heard or have an impact.

This perceived lack of engagement, along with recent controversies surrounding some projects such as the Garden Bridge, could be informing Londoners’ dissatisfaction with infrastructure management and delivery. Fewer than one in three Londoners feel that those in power are making the right decisions about what infrastructure projects to fund, and almost half (49%) think that changes in elected officials often result in major changes to infrastructure policy. More than half of respondents in London (52%) believe that city officials take a short-term view of infrastructure planning and 59% state that large-scale transportation projects in the capital are usually delivered late.

With public transport top of Londoners’ list for infrastructure improvements, AECOM is calling on government to move major projects outside the political cycle and create the right business environment to attract private investment and get key schemes off the ground.

Colin Wood MBE, Chief Executive – Civil Infrastructure, Europe, Middle East and Africa, AECOM, said: "What’s clear from the findings of the survey is that Londoners care about infrastructure. Our public transport systems are widely used and people are generally satisfied, but poor engagement from infrastructure providers, owners and wider industry has the potential to change the mood. Gaining – and maintaining – public acceptance of major projects, as well as the likely disruption and cost of these types of projects, takes time and money. But failing to communicate transparently, outline the benefits and make plans accessible risks undermining the best efforts of city authorities to improve services.

"Government should be buoyed by the public support for more private sector involvement in infrastructure. London, along with the rest of the UK, has an impressive pipeline of projects, but private finance is required to fill the funding gap and secure the delivery of much-needed schemes. As London builds up to its next mayoral election, the large proportion of respondents that see too many policy shifts as a result of changes to elected officials sends a clear message about the need to de-politicise infrastructure decision-making where we can and build certainty around project delivery.

"London’s competitive edge is built around its openness, connectivity and diverse population. Yet it will face mounting economic, environmental and social problems if its infrastructure fails to meet future demands. As London seeks to secure its place in a post-Brexit world, the role of infrastructure is more vital than ever. The city’s ambitions to remain a world leader are unequivocal, and Londoners recognise the need for greater collaboration and are even willing to play their part in helping to realise them.”

Download the full report

About this research

The Future of Infrastructure: Voice of the People report has been produced by AECOM in collaboration with Longitude, a world-class leader in quantitative and qualitative research. The report was compiled in two ways. First, Longitude conducted an online survey of more than 10,000 people across 10 major global cities including Hong Kong (1031 respondents), Mumbai (1088), Singapore (1109), Sydney (1096), London (1118), Riyadh (980), Chicago (1014), Los Angeles (1121), New York (1128), and Toronto (1065). Respondents were not compensated for their participation and AECOM was not identified as the research sponsor. Second, the firm conducted qualitative interviews with a range of senior figures in the global civil infrastructure industry where AECOM was identified to them as the research sponsor.

About AECOM

AECOM is built to deliver a better world. We design, build, finance and operate critical infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organisations. As a fully integrated firm, we connect knowledge and experience across our global network of experts to help clients solve their most complex challenges. From high-performance buildings and infrastructure, to resilient communities and environments, to stable and secure nations, our work is transformative, differentiated and vital. A Fortune 500 firm, AECOM had revenue of approximately $20.2 billion during fiscal year 2018.

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