Census 2011: Half Of Workers Use Cars To Get To Work (But Boom In Cycling In London)

Half Of Brits Drive To Work - But Londoners Spark Boom In Cycling

Half of people (50%) working in London primarily use public transport to travel to work, according to the 2011 Census.

This compares with nearly a third (31% or 1.3 million) travelling by car, motorcycle or taxi.

There has been boom in cycling in London, with 161,700 people, or 2.6%, using bicycles to get to work in the capital.

This compared with 77,000 a decade ago, the ONS said, but these figures were not strictly comparable as the 2001 figures did not include those people who said they worked from home.

Outside London, Cambridge remained the local authority with the highest proportion who cycle to work, at 18%, or 17,755 people.

In spite of the surge in cycling, the majority of 16 to 74-year-olds in England and Wales said they drove a car or van to work, at 58% or 15 million.

The percentage of workers mainly using public transport ranged from 6% (162,000) in the South West to 13% (151,000) in the North East, with the percentage using cars, motorcycles or taxis ranging from 67% (2.8 million) in the South East to 75% (one million) in Wales.

Although the South West had the lowest percentage of journeys to work by public transport, it had the highest percentage of workers travelling on foot or using a bicycle (17% or 439,000), with the highest percentage of people working from home (7% or 178,000).

In other areas the percentage travelling to work by foot or bicycle varied from 12% (302,000) in the West Midlands to 14% (348,000) in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Here is a breakdown of the main mode of transport people use to get to work in the UK:

:: Driving a car or van - 57.5%

:: On foot - 10.7%

:: Bus, minibus or coach - 7.3%

:: Work mainly at or from home - 5.4%

:: Train - 5.2%

:: Passenger in a car or van - 5.1%

:: Underground, metro, light rail or tram - 3.9%

:: Bicycle - 2.9%

:: Motorcycle, scooter or moped - 0.8%

:: Other method of travel - 0.6%

:: Taxi - 0.5%

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