Pilot-Study for a National Travel Survey in Belgium

This paper describes the development and pilot-testing of different survey methods and the survey material for a nation-wide travel survey in Belgium. Two methods were tested, on a sample of 800 households: a mail survey with telephone support and a telephone survey with mail support. Furthermore, two types of diary for the collection of travel information were tested: a conventional trip-based diary, and an activity-based diary. Face-to-face noncoverage and non-response interviews, and telephonic validation interviews were carried out as well, to allow a better comparison of the different options tested. The different survey protocols and questionnaires are described. The first results showed no major significant differences in response rates for the different survey methods and the different types of diary tested. Further results, among which a detailed analysis of the response rates and of the quality of the data collected with the different survey methods and diaries, will be reported later.