1. Summary of the survey

Transport for Greater Manchester ["TfGM"] is aiming to improve the public transport fares system and wants to understand the views of transport users to inform this process. Findings from this survey will be used to help decide what fares and ticketing should be in future.

We have commissioned QA RESEARCH to undertake this work on our behalf.

TfGM is the Data Controller for personal information collected in the survey.  This means that we decide how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

QA RESEARCH is our Data Processor for personal information collected in the survey, but an independent Data Controller for any contact details they collect from you for quality control purposes. You can view their privacy policy at: https://www.qaresearch.co.uk/privacy/

2. What information we will collect from you

The survey will ask you questions in relation to your use of public transport, the types of tickets you use and your perception of fares and ticketing in Greater Manchester.

We ask for some demographic information. These questions are optional and include:

  • Home postcode

  • Local Authority area

  • Age

  • Gender

  • Working status

  • Health and disability

  • Ethnicity

At the end of the survey, if you were interviewed in-person, Qa RESEARCH also ask for your name and telephone number. They re-contact some participants and ask them about their experience, to check that the survey was carried out correctly. Your name and telephone number will not be used for any other purpose or shared with TfGM.

At the end of the survey period, Qa RESEARCH will share all survey responses with TfGM. This will not include any information which directly identifies you, such as your contact details. This research is confidential and any personal information collected will not be used to identify you.

Any results published from the research will be anonymous, meaning they will not contain any information which could directly or indirectly identify you.

3. How information is collected

The survey is being conducted via an online panel and face-to-face on-street in Greater Manchester. Qa RESEARCH uses Askia data collection software. More information can be found here: https://askia.com/privacy

Qa RESEARCH will provide a link to the survey to an online panel provider, who will disseminate it to their panel members across the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities. Neither Qa RESEARCH or TfGM will have any direct contact with the panellists -- the panel provider is the Data Controller for this processing.

4. Our lawful basis for processing personal data under GDPR

Article 6 1(e): the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

For the more sensitive data:

Article 9 2(g): the processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

5. How we ensure the security of your data

TfGM and QA RESEARCH comply with their obligations under the GDPR by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

All electronic survey information will be encrypted with a secure password and access will be restricted the research teams.

6. Information retention

Qa RESEARCH keeps personal data collected for research purposes (including completed questionnaires) for 12 months after completion of the research project. Contact details collected for quality control purposes will be deleted within 3 months of the end of the project.

TfGM will retain the survey data for as long as it is considered useful for the research objectives.

7. Transferring data

Data collected and stored by TfGM and QA RESEARCH will be stored in the United Kingdom.

8. Data sharing

The information collected as part of this survey will only be used by TfGM for the purposes explained above. TfGM may in the future share the results of this survey or aggregated/anonymised data with our research partners, such as universities. You will not be identifiable in any results or data shared.

9. What rights do individuals have?

Under data protection law, your rights include:

  • Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

  • Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

  • Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you wish to make a request, please contact us at: data.protection@tfgm.com

10. How can I make a complaint?

If you would like to make a complaint regarding how TfGM is processing your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing: data.protection@tfgm.com

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). The ICO can be contacted at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.