Scottish Transport Statistics No 33 2014 Edition
Chapter 11: Personal and Cross-Modal Travel
- Information from the Scottish Household Survey
- Journey numbers
- Journey distance and duration
- Personal travel by mode
- Travel to work
- Travel to school
PERSONAL AND CROSS-MODAL TRAVEL
1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter previously included information from the National Travel Survey (NTS). However, Scottish data are no longer collected in the NTS, estimates for Scotland from the NTS are available in previous editions of this publication. This chapter now focuses on estimates derived mainly from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS), findings from others sources are marked as such within the text.
1.2 The SHS is a sample survey and provide person-based cross-modal information, in contrast to most of the earlier chapters, which tend to be based on particular modes of transport. The SHS also includes a travel diary that asks respondents for information about the journeys they made on the previous day, including information on the duration, distance, purpose and mode of travel. More information and further tables covering transport findings from the Scottish Household Survey can be found in Transport and Travel in Scotland: http://bit.ly/TSStats-TATIS
1.3 In this edition of STS we have also presented relevant information on travel behaviours collected from the 2011 census as previously published by the National Records of Scotland. More information about the sources used can be found in the Sources section.
Key points
- 76% of people had travelled the previous day when asked in 2013, up from 73% in 2012.
- Of the 541 million public transport journeys made in 2012, 78 per cent were by bus, 16 per cent were journeys by rail, air accounts for 4 per cent and ferries 2 per cent.
- Thirty one per cent of journeys to work and 74 per cent of journeys to school are by public and active travel
2. Main Points
Trips
2.1 People in Scotland made more trips in 2013, with 76% reporting having travelled the previous day, up from 73% in 2012. Men were more likely to have travelled the previous day than women (77% compared to 74%) and older people were less likely to have travelled than younger people.
2.2 As in previous years, the car was the most popular mode of transport for journeys made in 2013, with 50% of journeys made as a car driver. This was an increase of 2 percentage points on the previous year. Fourteen per cent of journeys were made as a car passenger. Bus travel accounted for 9% and rail travel for just under 2%. Almost a quarter of journeys were by walking (23%) and cycling accounted for 1% of all journeys. Four per cent of journeys were multi-stage, involving a change in mode of transport.
2.3 Thirty per cent of adults used the bus at least once per week in 2013, with 45% using a bus in the past month. Train use appeared to be less frequent; 8% of
people had used the train at least once a week and 28% of people had used a train in the last month, in 2013.
Distance travelled
2.4 In 2013, most journeys tended to be over short distances, with a quarter of all journeys being under 1 km long and a further 25% between 1 and 3 km. The mean journey distance in 2013 was 8.5 km.
2.5 The average cycling journey was 4.4 km in length and the average walking journey was 1 km in length in 2013. Rail and car journeys tended to be over greater distances with car journeys covering an average of 10.8 km and rail journeys 33 km. Most journeys by active travel were made over short distances -almost 90% of walking journeys and 46% of cycling journeys were under 2km.
2.6 In 2013, commuting (22.1%) was the most frequent purpose of a journey, followed by shopping (21.5%), returning home (13.7%), visiting friends or relatives (11.0%) and travelling to education (5.9%). These percentages have stayed fairly stable in the last year.
Duration travelled
2.7 In terms of journey time most journeys in 2013 were short, with 70% lasting for less than 20 minutes: 38.3% of journeys were between 5 and 10 minutes long, 42% between ten and thirty minutes long and 10.9% between thirty minutes and an hour long. Only 4.3% of journeys lasted more than an hour and only 4.1% of journeys were very short (lasting under 5 minutes).
Car access
2.8 People in households with more cars were more likely to make more trips – 70% people living in households with no cars made one or two trips the previous day, compared to 63% of people with two or more cars. Similarly, 19% of households with no cars made more than four journeys the previous day compared to 29% of those with two or more cars. Residents of households with at least one car available for private use made most of their journeys by car, with 59% of journeys made by households with one car and 72% of journeys made by households with two or more cars made as the driver of a car or van. Households with no car and households with one car made roughly the same number of journeys as a passenger in a car or van (13 or 14% of journeys), while those with two or more cars made slightly fewer as a passenger (11%).
2.9 Households with no car access made a far higher proportion of their journeys by public and active travel. Bicycle use was highest in households with no cars available – 2% of journeys as opposed to 1% for households with one car and 0.5% for households with two or more cars. People in households with no cars available had a much higher proportion of journeys by foot, with 51% of journeys by members of these households being made by foot, compared to 19% for households with one car and 12% for households with more than two cars. The proportion of trips by public transport was also considerably higher for households with no car – 25% compared to 4% for households with one car and 1% for households with two or more cars.
Driving
2.10 The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) provides information about how often people aged 17 or over drive. In 2013, 49% of men, 36% of women and 42% of all people aged 17+ said that they drove every day. A further 19% stated they drove at least once a week (but not every day), 3% drove less frequently, 4% had a full driving licence but never drove, and 32% did not have a full driving licence. (Table 11.10)
2.11 Since the recent peak in 2007, the percentage who drove every day has fallen from 45.2 per cent to 41.9 per cent, but over the same period the proportion of those who drove at least once a week has risen by 3 percentage points. (Table 11.12)
2.12 The frequency of driving varied with age. In 2013, over half of people aged 30 to 59 said they drove every day. As age rises this falls (to 13% for people aged 80 and over). The frequency of driving also varied with the annual net income of the household. Around two thirds of people aged 17+ living in households with an annual net income of £40,000 or more said they drove every day, compared with around a fifth of those living in households with an annual net income of up to £10,000. Around a third (34%) of people aged 17+ in large urban areas drove every day compared to 58% in 'remote rural' areas. (Table 11.10)
Walking
2.13 In 2012, 66% of adults made a journey of more than a quarter of a mile by foot to go somewhere in the last seven days – the highest proportion seen in the last decade. Young adults (aged 16-19) were the most likely to have walked to go somewhere (82%), compared with 71% of those aged 30-39, just under two thirds of those in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and over a third of those aged 80 or above (35%). (Tables 11.11 & 11.13)
2.14 In 2012, 55% of adults said that they had walked for pleasure or to keep fit at least once in the last seven days – also the highest in recent times. There was some variation with age: the percentage was highest for those aged 16 – 19 and 30-39 (61%) and lowest for those aged 80 or above (24%). There was less variation with household income, although those with net annual incomes of over £30,000 were more likely than those with lower incomes.(Tables 11.11 & 11.13)
Travel to Work (SHS data)
2.15 SHS travel to work statistics underpin Scotland's National Indicator: "Increase the proportion of journeys to work made by public or active travel". The Scottish Household Survey is the preferred source of information on travel to work. More information on National Indicators can be found on the Scotland Performs website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/indicators/publicTransport
2.16 The SHS shows that 13% of employed adults worked from home in 2013, an increase from 2003 (9%). Two thirds (66%) of self-employed people worked from home, though this is based on a relatively small sample size and therefore may be subject to larger confidence intervals. (Tables 11.17 & 11.21)
2.17 Overall, the SHS found that the majority (66%) of employed adults who did not work from home travelled to work by car or van (as either the driver or as a passenger) in 2013. This percentage tended to increase with age (16-20: 58%, Over 40: around 70%), type of employment (only 53% of those who work part-time, compared to 70% for full-time) and annual net household income (rising to 73% of those in the £40,000+ band). (Table 11.18)
2.18 Other usual means of travel to work were: walking (13%); bus (11%); rail (4%); bicycle (3%) and other modes (3%). Use of such modes of transport also varied. For example: in general, the greater the income of the household, the less likely a person was to walk or use the bus to travel to work; the percentage who walked to work was highest in remote small towns (29%) and the percentage who commuted by bus was highest in large urban areas (17%). Since 2003, the percentage travelling to work by car or van (as driver or passenger) has remained around two thirds. Within this overall figure, the percentage travelling to work as a car passenger has fallen since 2003 (from 8.7% to 5.6%). Walking journeys have remained relatively stable around 13%, and little change has been seen in the use of other modes of transport (Tables 11.18 & 11.22)
Travel To Work (non-SHS data)
2.19 Other data sources show a similar pattern to the Scottish Household Survey data and also enable comparison with the rest of Great Britain.
2.20 Labour Force Survey results suggest that, between 2003 and 2013, there has been little change in the percentage for whom a car or a van is the usual means of travel to work (70% in 2003 and 68% in 2013). There was also little change to walking which was 12% in 2003 and 13% in 2013. People who work at home are excluded from these figures. These figures are similar to the findings from the SHS shown in table 11.18 (Table 11.14)
2.21 There appears to have been little change in recent years in the average times taken to travel to work by the main modes of transport (in 2013: 25 minutes by car; 37 minutes by bus and 14 minutes by foot). (Table 11.15 b)
2.22 The Scottish Census 2011 showed 2.4 million people aged between 16 and 74 in employment, excluding full-time students. 11% of these worked mainly from home. Of the remaining 2.1 million people, 36% had a journey of under 5 km to work, 43% had a journey of between 5 km and 30 km to work and 8% travelled 30 km or more to work. The remaining 12% had no fixed place of work, worked offshore or worked outside the UK. (Table 11.31).
2.23 Information about travel to work has been collected in population censuses since 1966. Excluding those that worked at home, the percentage of the working population using cars to travel to work had increased from 21% in 1966 to 69% in 2011 and the percentage using buses had fallen from 43% in 1966 to 11% in 2011. There had also been a significant fall in the proportion of the working population who walk to work, from 24% in 1966 to 11% in 2011. (Table 11.16)
2.24 The 2011 Census showed that the distance of people's journey to work tended to vary with their access to cars or vans. Seventy-four per cent of people living in households with no car or van available had a commute of fewer than 10km, compared with 60 per cent of those in households with one car or van available and 47 per cent of those in households with two or more cars or vans available. Conversely, the proportion of people who travelled 30km or more to work was higher for people in households with two or more cars or vans available (10 per cent) than for those in households with one car or van available (7 per cent) or with no cars or vans available (4 per cent). (Table 11.33)
Travel to School
2.25 In 2013, 52% of children in full-time education at school usually walked to school, 20% usually went by bus, 24% by car or van, 1% cycled. There was little difference between the sexes, but varied greatly with age: 58% of primary school age pupils (those aged up to 11) usually walked to school compared with only 44% of those of secondary school age (those aged 12 and over); 30% of primary pupils went by car or van compared with only 18% of secondary pupils; and only 9% of primary pupils usually travelled by bus compared with 34% of those of secondary age. (Table 11.19)
2.26 Those usually travelling by car/van tended to rise with household income, to 25-33% of pupils from households with an annual net income of £30,000 or more, reflecting patterns seen elsewhere in this chapter eg travel to work and car use more generally. Walking to school was lowest (25-31%) in rural areas. Estimates for those walking to school have remained relatively stable whilst those traveling by car has risen since 2003. The Sustrans Hands Up Scotland Survey shows similar findings. (Tables 11.19, 11.23 & 11.23a)
2.27 According to the 2011 Scottish Census, 88% of children aged between 4 and 11 travelled less than 5km to school, including 72% who travelled less than 2km. 51% of those aged over 18 travelled less than 5km to their place of study. 430,000 people of any age travelled under 2km to their place of study, with 73% of these people travelling by foot, 6% travelling by bus and 17% as a passenger in a car or van. Of the 428,000 people who travelled 2km or more to their place of study, 31 per cent did so as a car driver or passenger, 43 per cent travelled by bus and 7 per cent travelled by train. (Table 11.34 & 11.35)
Travel Abroad
2.28 According to the International Passenger Survey (IPS), Scottish residents made an estimated 3.6 million visits abroad in 2013 with about 3.4 million visits (95%) being made by air. Edinburgh was the main airport used and accounted for about 1.2 million visits (32% of all visits abroad), followed by Glasgow (972,000 or 27%), Prestwick (382,000 or 11%) and Aberdeen (179,000 or 5%). Around 133,000 visits abroad (4%) were made by sea, and roughly 59,000 (2%) were made using the Channel Tunnel. (Table 11.24)
2.29 Around 69% of Scottish residents' visits abroad were made for holiday purposes. Of these, just under a half (1.1 million) were on a package holiday whilst the rest travelled independently. There were 711,000 (20%) visits abroad to visit friends or relatives and 325,000 visits abroad for business purposes (9%). (Table 11.24)
2.30 Seventy seven per cent (2.8 million) of Scottish residents' visits abroad were made to EU countries and visits to other European areas totalled 60,000 (2%). Visits to Canada and the USA together totalled about 267,000 (7%). (Table 11.25)
2.31 The estimated number of visits abroad by Scottish residents fell slightly from 3.8 million in 2003 to 3.6 million in 2013, a fall of 6%. This hides an increase of 26% between 2003 and 2006 and a fall of a quarter between 2008 and 2013. Between 2003 and 2013 there has been a general decline in the number of package holidays while those travelling independently has generally increased, though are currently below the 2008 peak. Other holidays increased by 69% between 2003 and 2008 but has since fallen back 25%. There was also a large increase in the number of visits to friends and relatives over the same period, with numbers more than doubling between 2003 and 2008 and falling 22% since. Some of the apparent year-to-year changes may be due to sampling variability, however, the general trends reflect patterns described elsewhere in this publication. (Table 11.26)
Transport Model for Scotland
2.32 Information on travel between different parts of Scotland is available from the Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS). The base year of TMfS is 2012.
2.33 It is estimated that, on an average weekday in 2012, 5.2 million person-trips were made by car, bus or train across the boundaries of one or more of the zones which are within the area covered by the TMfS. Around one third (34%) of these trips were within the Clydeplan region, 23% within SESplan region, 7% within TAYplan, and 8% within Aberdeen and the North East. (Table 11.27)
2.34 Of the 5.2 million inter-zonal person trips per weekday it is estimated that 4.1 million were by car. These accounted for over four-fifths of the total, and the main features of the pattern of trips by car were similar to those described in the previous paragraph. There were also an estimated 1.1 million inter-zonal person-trips by bus or train per weekday. Two fifths of these were within Clydeplan, and about a quarter were within SESplan. (Table 11.27)
2.35 There was an average of just over 4.2 million trips per weekday by cars and goods vehicles. One third were within Clydeplan, and just under a quarter were within SESplan. (Table 11.27)
Concessionary Travel
2.36 153 million passenger journeys were made under all types of concessionary fare schemes in 2013-14, 1% more than in 2012-13. Concessionary travel schemes have varied over the years: a national minimum standard of free off-peak local bus travel for elderly and disabled people in Scotland was introduced from 30 September 2002, the scheme was extended to men aged 60-64 from 1 April 2003. In 2006 this was superseded by the introduction of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for the elderly and disabled which allowed free bus travel across Scotland. Including the young persons' scheme, concessionary bus travel accounted for 145 million passenger journeys in 2013-14, 95% of concessionary journeys by all modes of transport). (Table 11.29)
Traveline Scotland
2.37 In 2013 Traveline Scotland received 338,200 telephone calls which was 16% less than the previous year. Its Web site and smart phone app recorded 11.5 million hits in 2013, up 13% from the previous year. (Table 11.30).
Table 11.1 Trips per person per year by main mode
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.2 Average distance travelled per person per year by main mode
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.3 Average length of trip by main mode
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.4 Trips per person per year by purpose
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.5 Average distance travelled per person per year by purpose
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.6 Average length of trip by purpose
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.7 Hours travelled per person per year by purpose
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.8 Average duration of travel per trip by purpose
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Table 11.9 Trips per person per year by main mode and cars available to the household
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
* The frequency of driving is shown only for those who hold a full driving licence
** Cell value suppressed as contain less than 5 responses.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- The number of days in the previous seven days on which the person made a trip of more than a quarter of a mile by foot for the specified purpose.
- Question now asked in survey every other year. 2012 is the most recent data available.
# Only includes those with a full driving licence.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- For holders of full licences.
- From April 2003, the questionnaire changed such that information on possession of driving licences and frequency of driving was no longer collected from the head of the household, or his / her spouse/partner, about all adults in the household, but instead from one randomly chosen adult member of thehousehold about him or herself.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- The number of days in the previous seven days on which the person made a trip of more than a quarter of a mile by foot for the specified purpose.
- Question now asked in survey every other year. 2012 is the most recent data available.
- This category includes jogging and walking a dog.
Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain
Note: This table is no longer being updated. Henceforth, information about average times taken to travel to work will be given in Table 11.15 (b), which is on the basis that is used to produce such figures for DfT's "Regional Transport Statistics".
Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain
* Sample size for this cell is too small for reliable estimates.
Source: Oct-Dec, Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Force Survey.
Notes: Some of the figures shown in table 11.15 (b) differ slightly from those in 11.15 (a) due to differing methodology used to extract.
Results are weighted using population estimates to ensure they are representative of the population at large.
- Data are for males and females in employment aged 16-99.
- Maximum recorded value of usual travel to work time = 180 minutes.
- The large fall between 2010 and 2011 is due to a small sample size with a small number of very extreme values that are very sensitive to change
~ Less than half a per cent but greater than zero.
- Excluding those who worked at home in 1981, 1991 and 2001 (who were not identified separately in the 1966 and 1971 Census travel to work figures)
- Includes 'none' in 1971
- Includes 'none' in 1966; unspecified means of 'Public transport' in 1971, and 'not stated' in all years apart from 2001 (when there was no "not stated" category).
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- Those whose current situation was described as self-employed, employed full-time or employed part-time.
Figure 11.3: Travel to work a) 2003 and b) 2013
Figure 11.4: Driver experience of congestion and bus passenger experience of delays 2003-2013
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- Those in full-time employment, part-time employment and self-employed only.
- Including the Glasgow Underground.
- e.g. motorcycle, lorry, taxi, ferry, etc.
** value supressed as cell contains fewer than 5 responses
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- For those in full time education at school. The Main method of transport is recorded if there is more than one method.
- Including those who were said to travel by private bus, and a few who went by works bus.
- Including the Glasgow Underground.
- e.g. motorcycle, lorry, taxi, ferry, etc.
** denotes cell value supressed as based on fewer than 5 responses
Table 11.20 Travel to/from school (pupils aged 5 to 16) 1, 2
Note: This table has been removed as data are no longer available for Scotland . Latest Scottish estimates are given in table 11.19 although this is based on a different source.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- Those whose current situation was described as self-employed, employed full-time or employed part-time.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- The main method of transport is recorded if the journey involves more than one method.
- Including the Glasgow Underground.
- e.g. motorcycle, lorry, taxi, ferry, etc.
Source: Scottish Household Survey
- For those in full time education at school. The main method of transport is recorded if there is more than one method.
- Including those who were said to travel by private bus, and a few who went by works bus.
- Including the Glasgow Underground.
- e.g. motorcycle, lorry, taxi, ferry, etc.
Source: Hands Up Scotland Survey - Not National Statistics
- All schools excluding nursery
Source: Office for National Statistics
Source: Office for National Statistics
- These estimates are based on information from samples of passengers using the principal routes- see sections 3.14 and 4.4 of the text.
- “Other UK ports” includes information collected from Rosyth in 2008 Q2&Q3. There are minor differences between Tables 11.26, 11.27 and 11.28, due to totals being calculated by adding separately-rounded numbers.
Source: Transport Scotland (Transport Model for Scotland:12) - Not National Statistics
- All travel movements between the 720 zones used to represent the UK. - see section 4.5 of the commentary.
The number of shorter distance trips which travel within a model zone area is not known. - East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire
- City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Fife (South), Scottish Borders and West Lothian
- Dundee City, Angus, Perth&Kinross and Fife (North)
- This traffic and travel data was extracted from the Transport Model for Scotland 2012 (TMfS12) (Base Year Version AE, Model Version TMfS12 V1.0).
The data reflects daily travel movements within a 2012 base year and represents the most recent data available from the LATIS service
TMfS12 covers the whole of the Scottish Strategic Transport network. England is represented with much less detail.
The data reflects 'inter-zonal trips', which includes all travel movements between the 720 zones used to represent the UK.
The data does not include more local or short distance movements travelling wholly within model zones.
Source: Transport Scotland&Strathclyde Partnership for Transport - Not National Statistics
- Figures include a degree of estimation (e.g. allowances for claims not yet been processed) and may incur some small revisions to previously published data.
- The National Concessionary Travel bus scheme was introduced on 1st April 2006, which allows elderly and disabled free travel on all scheduled bus services in Scotland. This replaced any local schemes.
- 2001-02& 2002-03 figures do not include Eilean Siar.
- The Young People's Concessionary Travel Scheme started in 8 January 2007, aimed at 16 to 18 year olds (inclusive) and full time volunteers (aged under 26).
- The Reimbursement Rate for the National Concessionary Travel bus scheme changed from 73.6% applicable in 2006/07 to 2009/10 to 67% applicable from 2010-11.
- A small charge was introduced for ferries in 2010.
Figure 11.1 Calls to Traveline Scotland in 2013
Figure 11.2 Traveline Scotland - Web & App hits in 2013
Source: Transport Scotland - Not National Statistics
- Traveline Scotland went live for telephone calls on 3 January 2001. Its internet service became operational on 27 October 2002, and was formally launched on 16 December 2002, but statistics of its use are only available from the start of 2003.
- The figures relate to the weeks which ended on Fridays which were in the specified calendar year - for example, the figures for "2003" cover the 52 weeks from the one ending on Friday 3 January 2003 to the week ending on Friday 26 December 2003, inclusive.
- Categerisation of unanswered calls no longer takes place.
- Daily averages are calculated by dividing the total for all the weeks ending in the year by the number of days in those weeks (e.g. 52 x 7 = 364). Therefore, they may differ slightly from the result that would be obtained if one divided by the actual number of days in the year (365 or 366).
- HIts are the record of unique visits to the web site. The web site supplier changed on 1 January 2006 and the new supplier defined hits in a more robust way than the previous supplier so the figures for 2006 onwards are not on a like for like basis with previous years.
- Total number of hits now includes visits to bus departure boards on the Traveline Scotland app Consists of 6,211.7 unique web visits and 1219.2 app departure board visits (thousands)
Source: Scottish Census 2011, National Records of Scotland
- The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of workplace.
- Includes no fixed place of work, working on an offshore installation and working outside the UK.
- Percentages for distance to place of work do not include those working mainly from home
Source: Scottish Census 2011, National Records of Scotland
- The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of workplace.
- Includes no fixed place of work, working on an offshore installation and working outside the UK.
- Percentages for mode of travel to place of work do not include those working mainly from home
Source: Scottish Census 2011, National Records of Scotland
- The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of workplace.
- Includes no fixed place of work, working on an offshore installation and working outside the UK.
- Excludes people who live in communal establishments - values for number of cars in a household were imputed where this was missing
- Percentages for distance to place of work do not include those working mainly from home
- The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of place of study
- Percentages for distance to place of study do not include those studying mainly from home
Source: Scottish Census 2011, National Records of Scotland
- The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of place of study