This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Household Transport in 2003
16/11/2004
Differences in the transport patterns for different groups of people are shown in a Scottish Executive statistical bulletin, called Household Transport in 2003: some Scottish Household Survey results, which is published today. Some of the main findings are listed below.
Travel to work
· 69 per cent of commuters said that they travelled to work by car or van (60 per cent as a driver and 9 per cent as a passenger), 13 per cent walked, 11 per cent went by bus, 3 per cent took a train and 2 per cent cycled. 65 per cent of men drove to work compared to 55 per cent of women.
· 44 per cent of those who travelled to work by car or van said that they could use public transport. The most common reasons they gave for not doing so were "takes too long" (59 per cent of this sub group), "inconvenient" (40 per cent), "no direct route" (31 per cent) and "prefer to use own car" (20 per cent).
· 55 per cent said that they could not use public transport. The most common reasons given why they cannot were: "no direct route" (38 per cent of this sub group), "lack of service" (27 per cent), "need a car for work" (23 per cent) and "work unsocial hours" (22 per cent).
Travel to school
· 53 per cent of pupils walked, 22 per cent were said to go by bus, 22 per cent went by car or van, and only 1 per cent cycled to school. 28 per cent of primary school age pupils travelled by car, as did 13 per cent of secondary school age pupils.
Availability of cars and bus services
· 67 per cent of households had one or more cars. Car availability rose with income, from 37 per cent of households with an annual net income of under £10,000 to 98 per cent of those with an annual net household income of over £40,000. 57 per cent of households in large urban areas had a car, compared with 82-83% of those in rural areas.
· 85 per cent of all households were said to be up to 6 minutes walk away from a bus stop. Overall, 24 per cent of householders said that there was a least one bus every 13 minutes: 43 per cent in large urban areas but only 0 to 2 per cent in rural areas and "remote" small towns.
Driving
· 65 per cent of people aged 17 and over were said to have a full driving licence in 2003: 77 per cent of men (but only 56 per cent of women) and 80% of 30 to 49 year olds.
· 42 per cent of people aged 17 and over were said to drive every day: 52 per cent of men compared with just over a third (35 per cent) of women. Just under three-fifths of people aged between 30 and 49 drove every day.
Public transport · 41 per cent of adults had used a local bus service in the month prior to the interview, and 16 per cent had used a train. 12 per cent of women and 8 per cent of men said that they had used a local bus every day or almost every day, as did 17 per cent of adults living in large urban areas. · 70 per cent of bus users and 61 per cent of rail users felt that fares were good value, and 71 per cent of bus users and 78 per cent of rail users thought that the services ran on time. Walking / cycling for pleasure / to keep fit
· 44 per cent of adults said that they had made a trip of more than a quarter of a mile by foot for pleasure or to keep fit (including walking a dog) in the previous seven days: 47 per cent of men and 41 per cent of women.
· Only 4 per cent of adults said that they had cycled for pleasure or to keep fit in the previous seven days: 6 per cent of men and 2 per cent of women.
Expenditure on fuel for cars
· Monthly average expenditure on fuel for cars rose from £51 for the households with cars in the "up to £10,000" annual net income band to £119 for those in the "over £40,000" band.
· 20 per cent of households with cars in "accessible" rural areas, and 17 per cent of those in "remote" rural areas, spent £150+ per month - versus only 8 per cent of those in "remote" small towns.
Reliance on cars
· 90 per cent of drivers who shopped at a supermarket always used a car to do so. 64 per cent of drivers who shop in town centres always used a car, and 53 per cent who shop for small amounts of food always used a car.
· 47 per cent of drivers who always used a car when shopping for small amounts of food would find it easy to use another means of transport. Only 17 per cent of those who always used a car for supermarket shopping would find it easy to change.
Household Transport in 2003: someScottish Household Surveyresults costs £2, and may be purchased from Blackwell's Bookshop, 53 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS.
The SHS involves interviews with about 15,500 households across Scotland each year. While the aim is to obtain a representative cross section, like any such survey the results may vary from year to year depending upon the composition of the sample.
This is a National Statistics publication. It has been produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice and Release Practice Protocol.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/cop/default.asp
These statistics undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.