The Manor Royal Travel Survey 2025 gives a clear picture of how people are getting to work on Manor Royal, what’s frustrating them most, and what could make every day journeys easier.
The survey, carried out as part of the “Move It” programme, follows up on a similar survey from 2024 and helps compare whether travel habits, and attitudes, are starting to change.
Most people still drive, mainly because it’s easier. The survey shows that almost two-thirds of employees (63%) still drive to work on their own, about the same as last year. This is mostly because driving is seen as the most convenient and reliable option, especially if public transport doesn’t line up well with working hours or locations.
That’s despite the fact that one in three people live within 5km of Manor Royal, a distance that could work for cycling, walking or public transport if the right conditions were in place.
The busiest travel times remain 8am-9am and 5pm-6pm, and congestion during these hours is one of the biggest frustrations. People talked about long queues at junctions, short traffic light phases, and roads feeling unsafe at peak times.
Hybrid working hasn’t changed much either, with most people still coming on site three or more days a week.
More people know about travel initiatives and support, but barriers remain. There are some positive signs. More employees now know about travel support schemes:
Nearly a quarter of respondents said they would consider cycling, but many are put off by poor routes, safety concerns and a lack of clear, continuous cycleways.
Public transport remains a challenge, especially getting to and from local train stations. People cited extra costs, long journey times and unreliable connections as reasons they still choose to drive.
Parking problems depend on where you work. On the surface, parking didn’t rank as highly as congestion, but the detail tells a different story.
Many survey responses came from people who work for larger employers with on-site parking. For employees without that option, parking is a much bigger issue.
This is especially true in Zone 5, closest to Gatwick Airport, where 80% of drivers don’t have access to on-site parking. In these areas, people reported problems with long-stay parking, informal parking, and congestion linked to school drop-off and pick-up times.
While some employees support better parking enforcement, very few want to pay for it. Only 13% said they would support paying for parking management, showing how sensitive this issue is.
What employees want to see improved. When asked what would make Manor Royal better to travel around, the message was consistent and clear:
These priorities were echoed at the Manor Royal Matters Conference in November 2025, where almost everyone said they were happy doing business on Manor Royal, but transport and parking were still the biggest things they wanted to see improved.
What happens next? The survey sets out several next steps, including:
The “Move It” programme has already helped raise awareness and bring partners together, but without further funding it may not be able to continue beyond autumn 2026.
The full survey helps make sure employee voices are heard and will be used to guide future investment and improvements, with the aim of making daily journeys to and around Manor Royal safer, simpler and less stressful.
Everyone who took part in the survey were added into a draw to win one of five £50 shopping vouchers.
A special congratulations to our prize draw winners:
For more information about the 'Move it' initiative or to learn more about our ‘Move it’ Roadshow, please contact sam@manorroyal.org
Date Published: 04/03/2026