Survey Shows Most Nova Scotians Are Satisfied With Highway Services

Most Nova Scotians are satisfied with their provincial highways system, a survey shows.

"We are happy that our motorists continue to be pleased with our work. We'll use the findings of the survey to help us continue to improve our highway programs and services," Murray Scott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, said of the customer satisfaction survey conducted for the department. "The results are a testament to the hard work and effort put in by our staff day in and day out."

Nova Scotians were especially pleased with safety, with 75 per cent of those surveyed indicating they felt secure driving on Nova Scotia roads. Those surveyed rated the importance of highway services such as filling potholes, pavement markings, bridges, and snow and ice removal significantly higher in 2007.

Overall satisfaction with the highway system has remained consistent over the last five years, with 59 per cent overall satisfaction in 2007, 61 per cent in 2006, 59 per cent in 2005, 63 per cent in 2004, and 59 per cent in 2003.

For the first time, respondents were asked to rate various safety issues in terms of how serious they perceived them to be in Nova Scotia. Ninety-two per cent of Nova Scotians mentioned cellphone use while driving as a serious problem. The survey was conducted before the province passed legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones while driving. The department is developing a comprehensive road safety strategy.

To date this fiscal year, the department has dedicated $423.3 million to highway spending, including capital, representing a $55.5-million increase over last year.

The customer satisfaction survey was conducted by The Marketing Clinic. It identified areas for improvement of Nova Scotia's highways, measured client satisfaction with highways and related services, and determined citizens' views about the importance and quality of various services. The survey was made up of a random sample of 2,076 respondents older than 16 from across the province.

The complete survey is available on the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal website at: www.gov.ns.ca/tran/publications/publication.asp .

The next customer satisfaction survey will begin in November.