Commuters eschewing cars throughout Britain

Commuters eschewing cars throughout Britain

Workers commuting throughout England and Wales are choosing other options to travel to their workplace in larger numbers, as shown by the results of a new survey.

The survey, which was based partly on the 2011 census data, shows that the number of people using their car to get to work and back has dropped by 2%, and now represents 67% of workers. Public transport usage is on the rise, with many commuters choosing buses and trains as more economical and viable methods of getting to their place of work in the morning.

Bike usage is also on the rise, as more and more people see the health benefits from cycling, as well as the savings on fuel, road tax and car insurance. It can come as no surprise that London sees the most cyclists commuting through it's streets.

As commuters are usually seen as the bulk of car users, this study could suggest the starting point of a drop in overall car usage, and a subsequent rise in the use of alternative and public transport. Indeed, since 2001 the roads have seen a drop of 2% in the number of cars, motorbikes and vans driving through them, and an increase of around the same amount in the use of public transportation.

The south of England has seen the largest drop in the proportion of commuters using their car to travel to work. The Greater London area has seen it's numbers of motor commuters drop by almost 9%, and in the city of London itself only around a third of commuters are using a car or a motorbike to get to their place of work. Over half of London commuters travel on public transportation.

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