Sustrans conducts cycle use survey via Orange iPhone app

The ‘Do Some Good’ iPhone app was created by phone airtime company Orange to "do bite-size actions on your mobile in five minutes or less to make a difference to the things you care about."

Users don’t have to be customers of Orange (but they do need an iPhone…)

The free app, released on 30th March, "offers a number of actions that let you easily volunteer at a time and place that suits you. With lots of people doing small actions we can create a big impact for charitable organisations."

The Sustrans part of the app is a survey and has already been completed 380 times, making it the second most visited part of the app (the most successful part of the app so far has been a survey from the Samaritans). Other charities on the app offer volunteering opportunities such as uploading pix for Photofoundation: "Donate images to build an online image bank for charities"; and translating for Multilingual Translators: "Translate bite-size pieces of ‘how to’ guides to help people in developing countries improve their lives."

When users have logged four hours of ‘volunteering’ they get a Orange RockCorps music reward, such as VIP tickets to gigs and entries into music-themed competitions.

The Sustrans survey is part of the charity’s ‘Free Tour Bike’ campaign is for sharing "your thoughts about cycling to help free more bikes."

Questions are multi-choice.

Question seven asks, ‘What would enable you to make more every day journeys by bike?’

The MCQ answers – all of which can be selected – are: Area wide 20 mph speed limits; More cycle lanes; Free adult cycle training for adults; A map of all local cycle routes; Lots or more people cycling. There’s also space for ‘other’ enabling free form answers.

Question ten asks: “What do you think of when you see people on bikes?” The answers – with some naughty ones thrown in for good measure – are Free spirit; Rebellious; Confident; Fitness conscious; Environmentally aware; Can’t afford a car; Selfish; and Independent.

Sustrans said the survey results – which will be postcode-specific – would be used to "show councillors and local authorities what needs to happen on the ground to enable more people to free their bikes."