The RAC says new Government statistics show it’s clear many people feel they have no viable alternatives to the car for the trips they need to make.
The National Travel Survey data, published on 28 August, shows while 81% of journeys under one mile in length in 2023 were made by foot, 17% were made by car or van.
For journeys between one and five miles, 69% were made by can or van, compared to 19% by foot and 6% by bus.
Between five and ten miles, 83% of journeys were made by car or van.
The RAC says the survey results, which remain similar to 2022, will give the new Government food for thought.
Rod Dennis, RAC senior policy officer, said: “It’s abundantly clear that the private car remains the mode of choice for journeys over a mile in length, despite the fact that the proportion of households with access to a car has remained broadly flat for the last 50 years.
“The findings give the new government some food for thought as it tries to balance the needs of all road users, whether they are bus riders, cyclists, pedestrians or drivers.
“In the case of the latter, it’s clear many people feel they have no viable alternatives to the car for the trips they need to make.”
The data also shows most trips are relatively short. In 2023, 25% of trips were under one mile, and 71% under five miles. These proportions of short trips were broadly consistent with 2022 and 2019.
A breath of common sense from the RAC
Now will all those folk pushing what they call Active Travel realise that the population asa whole isn’t interested in Active Travel except for recreational purposes.
For other purposes walking and cycling takes too long, it is exposed to all weather conditions and is basically unsafe, with none of the protection a car gives against thieves (e.g. phones) or other vehicles
Robert Bolt, St Albans
+1