The most common reason for travel among English residents is shopping, reports the National Travel Survey published on Wednesday. The next most common trip was commuting.
Average trips made by people living in England increased by 14% in 2022 compared to 2021, the Department for Transport’s annual survey reveals, with increases in rates of trips across all modes of transport except cycling and the London Underground, which have remained broadly similar.
The National Travel Survey is a household survey of personal travel by residents of England traveling within Great Britain, using data collected through interviews and seven-day travel diaries.
Travel rates for all modes of transportation except walking were lower than before the pandemic. Walking is up 7%, according to the annual survey.
Outside of London, residents in England relied on cars to get around: 69% of trips were made by car by residents of urban areas excluding London, and this figure rises to 84% by residents of rural areas.
In 2022, 26% of trips were under one mile and 71% under five miles. Driving was the most frequent mode of transportation for distances greater than a mile.
45% of households have access to a car. 34% of households now have two or more cars, up from 8% in 1971. Between 1985 and 1986, there were eight cars for every ten households in Britain; in 2022 there were 12 cars for every ten households in England.