According to a Eurobarometer survey about two-thirds of EU car users said it was likely they would compromise on a car's speed in order to reduce emissions. Furthermore, more than half motorists  agreed with existing car charges being replaced by new charging schemes based on the actual use of their vehicle and, while most users choose to drive a car because of its convenience, nearly three quarters of EU citizens said they would consider using public transport more frequently if it would be possible to buy a single ticket covering all transport modes.

The Eurobarometer survey, conducted at the request of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, gathered the opinion of 25,570 people in all 27 Member States. The survey shows that a majority of EU citizens would support green measures and change their habits in order to implement them, something that, in general terms, was already highlighted by the Eurobarometer survey about environmental consideration in consumers' habits. 

The majority of car users (66%) surveyed said they would be likely to compromise on the car’s size in order to reduce emissions and 62% said the same about the car’s range – i.e. the distance that one could drive before needing to refuel or recharge the vehicle. More than half of people (60%) would also be willing to pay more for their car if it helped to reduce emissions.

Half of EU citizens said they would agree with existing car charges being replaced by new charging schemes that took into account a car’s actual use. These schemes were even more popular among car drivers as 53% agreed with existing car charges being replaced.

Frequency, reliability and intermodality as key factors to shift towards public transport

A large majority (71%) of car users felt that public transport was not as convenient as driving. A similar proportion (72%) of motorists said that a lack of connections stopped them using public transport (49% highlighted this as a "very important" factor). A low frequency of services was considered important by 64% of car users and 54% emphasised the unreliability of public transport.

People who use their car on a daily basis were asked what it would take for them to also use other modes of transport. Roughly two-thirds (65%) said they would consider it if it was easier to change from one mode of transport to another, 52% would be tempted if there was better (online) information about schedules, 47% would consider it if terminals were more attractive, and 38% if it was possible to buy tickets online.

Nearly three quarters of EU citizens (71%) say they would consider using public transport more frequently if it were possible to buy a single ticket covering all possible modes of public transport; there is also strong support for this among motorists (66%).