Travel Disruption: Three Case Studies

Abstract

This report draws together the findings of three studies of travel disruption and its impacts on travellers: the volcanic ash cloud which disrupted aviation in Europe in 2010, the loss of road bridges between November 2009 and April 2010 at Workington, Cumbria and the severe winter weather across the UK in the winter of 2010-2011. It proposes a six phase cycle: normality, when transport provision matches expectations drawn from experience, tickets, timetables, etc;, disruption, when the transport provision fails to meet expectations; touching the new context when travellers seek to assess how the changed conditions affect their travel plans; the revised plan, when travellers make new plans on the basis of what they know about the context, the consequences, which includes counting the cost of changed travel plans in terms of extra expenditure of time, money, effort, prolonged absences as well as any benefits emanating from the experience; reflection and incorporation whereby the experience of disruption is assimilated int the new normality; this can include trust of agents, information, travelling more prepared for disruption or being aware of new channels of information or help.

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