Private car use is on the increase
30 August 2007
- Government initiatives are failing
- More people are driving children to school
- Fewer people are using buses
Initiatives to persuade motorists out of their cars appear to be failing, according to the Department for Transport's National Travel Survey.
The investigation, which is based on information collected throughout 2006, is compared with figures from 1995-1997, and shows that the number of trips on foot has fallen by 15%.
There was also no change in the number of people walking their children to school and an increase in the number being driven to school from 38% to 41%.
The number of trips taken on buses has also fallen by 8%, although bus use in London had risen by 23%, reflecting the impact of congestion charging and the benefits of investment in the public transport system.
The report also discovered that the average person is now making more and longer trips per year by car, public transport, on foot or by aeroplane, travelling 7100 miles (up 2%) at an average distance of 6.9 miles (up from 6.4 miles).
The proportion of households with access to a car has risen from 70% to 75% over the past decade.
The number of licence holders has also increased, although only among women.
While 81% of men continue to hold a licence, the proportion of women holding a licence rose from 57 to 63%.
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