Fleet drivers should benefit as traffic on the UK road network seems to be decreasing according to new Government figures. The figures confirm the impact high fuel prices are having on car traffic and second quarter estimates show that car traffic has declined by 2 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.
This backs the AA Populus Panel findings which show that 55 per cent of drivers have cut back on car trips.
New data from the AA Populus Panel survey also shows that 39 per cent of AA members regularly use public transport (once or twice a month or more) to get from A to B according to the latest statistics released from the AA Populus panel of 18,5001 motorists.
Almost a quarter of respondents use public transport once a month, 9 per cent use it once or twice a week and 7 per cent use it every day.
The survey identified young people between the ages of 18 and 24 as the most prolific users of public transport with some 47 per cent using it at least once a month.
At the other end of the scale the over 65’s are the next most prolific users with 46 per cent using public transport once a month or more – for them the free bus pass is probably a significant factor in their choice when compared with the high cost of taking the car.
However a majority (61 per cent) use public transport never, once a year or less frequently than that. Those aged between 45 and 54 are least likely to use public transport at least once a month (66 per cent) closely followed by the 55 to 64 age group (64%).
Overall, four times as many professional people in the survey used public transport on a daily basis compared to manual workers.
AA comment
Commenting on the findings Edmund King, AA President, said, “Despite what we hear about people being wedded to their cars, 40 per cent of motorists also use public transport on a fairly regular basis – it’s not so much an unwillingness to use public transport, but is more a question of whether suitable networks exist and if it’s practical in terms of journey time. For many the car is the only option but it should not be forgotten that for some the car can be the first link in a public transport chain if proper interchanges are provided. The high fuel prices have had a significant effect on reducing traffic as 55 per cent of members tell us they have cut out some journeys.”
Simon McBride
