Transport by vans and small lorries, 2014-2015

County.

Frequency: Similar surveys are intended to be carried out every five years. Timeliness: The statistics are published within six months of the end of the statistical year.

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Historical data are stored as text files.

The purpose of the statistics is to describe the transport performances of Norwegian vans and small lorries. Vans and small lorries constitute a transport segment with increasing importance for the transport of goods on Norwegian roads, particularly in the cities.

The statistics on transport by vans and small lorries were established in 2009, based on a sample survey conducted in each quarter of 2008. The development of the statistics was partly financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC). The statistics succeed a similar survey conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics in 2003 (ITE).

The statistics are primarily used in transport planning and transport models by public authorities and research institutes (MTC, the Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads (DPR), ITE, Statistics Norway). Transport organisations and transport companies are also main users. In Statistics Norway the figures are also included in energy and emission analysis of the Norwegian transport sector.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar.

The statistics on transport by vans and small lorries supplement Statistics Norway's quarterly survey on road goods transport carried out by heavy lorries and road tractors (with a carrying capacity of 3.5 tonnes or more).

Statistics Act sections 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 (filing requirements)

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The population consists of vans and small lorries which are registered in the Norwegian Register of Vehicles throughout or in parts of the statistical year. The owner of each vehicle in the survey sample is the reporting unit, while the vehicle itself is the observed unit and the statistical unit. Vans and small lorries are defined as lorries, vans and combined vehicles with a carrying capacity of less than 3.5 tonnes. Vehicles with special license plates and vehicles registered prior to 1 January 1990 are not included in the statistics.

The statistics are based on a sample survey. Information about the population of the survey is collected from the Norwegian Register of Vehicles, which contains data on ownership, registration status and technical characteristics of the vehicles.

The gross sample of the survey consists of 10 000 vans and small lorries, which is sample of about 2 per cent of the 500 000 vans and small lorries which were registered in the Norwegian Register of Vehicles throughout or in parts of 2014.

The sample was selected by simple random sampling in a total of 114 strata. The vehicles where stratified by type of vehicle (3 groups) and county (19 groups) prior to sampling. The number of vehicles sampled from each vehicle type is proportional to the potential for transport performance of the vehicles in each group.

In order to ensure that a sufficient number of vehicles were selected from each county, half the number of sampled vehicles in each vehicle group was selected equally from each county. The other half was selected proportionally to the total number of vehicles in the same vehicle group in the county.

The survey was conducted as an Internet survey. Owners who failed to submit a completed questionnaire within the given deadline were reminded twice by mail. The survey is subject to filing requirements for owners of vans and small lorries registered as enterprises in accordance with the Norwegian Statistics Act (1989) .

The survey was carried out during two weeks in third quarter of 2014, fourth quarter of 2014, first quarter of 2015 and second quarter of 2015. The quarterly sample of 2500 vehicles was distributed randomly between the survey weeks. Accordingly, round about 1250 owners of vans and small lorries were asked to report on their transport performances in each of the eight survey weeks of 2014 and 2014: 38, 39, 46, 47, 7, 8, 20, 21.

The returned questionnaires are checked for recording errors and other obvious errors. The submitted information is subject to both logical controls on the observation level and more macro oriented analysis focused on identifying outliers and curious observations. Partial non-response is dealt with either by removing the observation from the net sample or by estimating a value for the missing observation based on other information about the vehicle.

The data for the survey week for each vehicle is converted to yearly estimates by multiplying by 46 assumed weeks of activity during a normal year (52 weeks with 6 weeks of vacations and holidays deducted). This is the same conversion factor that was used by ITE in 2003.

The sample figures are converted to population figures by using a rate estimator. The weights used for calculating the total figures for each stratum are calculated by dividing the total vehicle-kilometres for a stratum in the population by the total vehicle-kilometres for the same stratum in the survey sample. The vehicle-kilometres for the population are collected from the statistics on distances covered by vehicles which Statistics Norway is disseminating annually from 2009.

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The statistics succeed a similar survey conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Transport Economics in 2003 (ITE). Similar surveys are intended to be carried out every five years.