What is the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)?
The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA), is a study of travel habits across the Republic of Ireland. The NHTS is carried out as per the NTA’s legislation outlined in Sections 11, 72, and 73 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008.
The NHTS achieves Goal 8 – Action 69 of the Government of Ireland’s National Sustainable Mobility Policy.
The purpose of the survey is to:
- Gather travel information statistics to support the NTA’s transport planning role;
- Provide essential up to date travel data for regional transport models;
- Facilitate the development of additional transport modelling tools, and;
- Support the continuous monitoring and research on travel and transport patterns.
What is the Online NHTS?
The Online NHTS is a digital format version of the NTA NHTS. This version is being piloted, or tested, for three weeks starting in November 2025. The purpose of this test is to establish whether a mixed mode – online and paper – survey format could be viable for the annual NHTS.
In total, 400 households throughout the Republic of Ireland will be recruited and invited to participate in the online survey in November 2025.
Who is Collecting the Data?
The NTA has commissioned Ipsos B&A to conduct the Online NHTS.
Ipsos B&A is an independent research agency.
How Was My Household Selected?
Households are selected at random from the general population. Random selection is achieved through random digit dialling of mobile and landline phone numbers. All numbers called are randomly generated. At the time of calling, no information is known about the individual or household being contacted.
What Information Will I Be Asked to Give?
Your survey email includes a link to a Household Questionnaire. Once the household questionnaire is complete you will be emailed links for two-day Travel Diaries which need to be completed for/by each member of the household aged 4 years or older. Each must be completed during the survey period.
The Household Questionnaire collects information including:
- The composition of your household, including the age and sex of each household member
- The type of house you live in
- Vehicle and bicycle ownership
- Household income
- The occupation of the Chief Income Earner in your household
- Access to local services
- Internet connectivity
Each member of the household is also asked to complete a two-day Travel Diary, recording information for each trip taken including:
- Trip origin and destination
- Purpose of trip
- Length of time taken and distance
- Mode of transport
- Travelled alone or with others
Do children need to complete a Travel Diary?
Yes, children aged four years or older are asked to complete a Travel Diary. If a child in your household is aged four years or older but is too young to fill out their own travel diary, a responsible adult in the household can complete it for them.
What Will Be Involved If I Take Part?
- A survey link is sent to each participating household by email. Each email contains one Household Questionnaire link.
- One nominated person in the household completes the online Household Questionnaire.
- Once the online Household Questionnaire is complete, the nominated person in the Household will be asked to provide a name or initial for each person in the household aged 4 or older.
- After each person’s name or initial is provided, a separate personalised diary link for that person will be sent to the nominated person’s email address.
- The nominated person can forward each email to the right person, or if the nominated person is answering on someone’s behalf (e.g. child), the nominated person can open the other person’s link and complete it for them.
- Each email with the Travel Diary link will include the person’s name or initial in the subject line and greeting so you can easily identify the correct link.
- Each person (or the person answering for them) should use their unique link only to complete the diary.
- All diary emails will be sent to the nominated person’s email address. The nominated person should check their inbox (and spam/junk) and forward the correct email to each person as needed.
- The online Travel Diaries will be for the exact two dates for which trip information is required. These two dates will be shown in both the email and on the online Travel Diary.
What If I Decide Not to Take Part?
There is no obligation on anyone to agree to take part, and you can decline to do so. Participants are also entitled to refuse to answer any questions they do not want to answer.
The NTA would encourage participants to be thorough in completing the online forms as it greatly improves survey quality.
What Will Happen to The Information I Give?
Ipsos B&A and the NTA value and protect the information you provide, and the NHTS research is being conducted in compliance with GDPR.
Ipsos B&A is a member of the Market Research Society. As such, the company abides by the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and associated regulations and guidelines.
Your personal data will be kept confidential.
The NTA publishes grouped anonymous data like the annual NHTS reports.
Security Precautions
Security precautions will be in place to protect your personal data, including controlled and limited access to computer systems. Your personal information is securely encrypted while being transferred to the servers and while being retained on the servers.
Privacy Notice
A copy of the Privacy Notice is available NTA NHTS 2025 – Privacy Notice (Online).
Further Analysis & Secondary Research
The NTA may share the anonymised NHTS data with research partners, transport project consultants, and personnel from other institutions and organisations for further analysis and/or secondary research.
If I Have Any Questions or Problems, Who Can I Contact?
If you have any questions regarding this research, you can contact Ipsos B&A on 01 4389 000 or by email at aisling.corcoran@ipsos.com. Alternatively, you can contact the National Transport Authority on 01 879 8300 or by email at info@nationaltransport.ie.
