Scottish Government

3. Commentary

3.1 Basic travel statistics(Tables 1 and 2; Charts A and B)

3.1.1 The National Travel Survey results for 2004/05 suggest that an average Scottish resident travelled around 7,332 miles per year (or about 20 miles per day) within Great Britain. Table 1 shows that this is much more than twenty or thirty years earlier: since 1975/1976, this average has risen by over 3,000 miles (75%), with an increase of over 2,500 miles (58%) since 1985/1986. However there has been little (if any) increase since the mid-1990s. Chart A illustrates this, and shows that cars alone account for most of the distance travelled (in 2004/2005, over 5,600 miles: 77% of the total), and for most of the increase in the distance travelled (with a rise of over 2,800 miles: 90% of the overall increase since 1975/1976). Chart A also shows some apparent recent period-to-period changes of a few hundred miles in the average distance travelled per person per year. These could be due to sampling variability - see Section 4.2.5. The thin vertical bars around some of the points in the top line in Chart A indicate the "95 confidence ranges", for those estimates for which they are available. These show that the recent period-to-period fluctuations are within the likely range of sampling variability. It follow that the apparent slight increase since the mid-1990s could be the result of sampling fluctuations.

3.1.2 There was less rapid growth in the number of trips made per person, which rose by 15% from an average of just under 900 per year (or 2.4 per day) in 1975/1976 to just over 1,000 per year (2.8 per day) in 2004/2005. However, since 1995/1997, there appears to have been a slight decrease of 4%, which could just be due to sampling variability. The principal cause of the increase in the average distance travelled was a rise of 53% in the average length of a trip, from 4.7 miles in 1975/1976 to 7.2 miles in 2004/2005. Over the same period, the per capita average time spent travelling increased by 17% from 289 hours per year (or 48 minutes per day) to 339 hours per year (56 minutes per day). However, the most marked increase was between 1975/1976 and 1989/1991: there has been little change since the mid-1990s (the apparent slight decline could be the result of sampling fluctuations). In consequence, throughout the period, the average duration of a trip did not change much, remaining around 20 minutes, while the average speed increased from under 15 miles per hour to nearly 22 miles per hour.

3.1.3 The main reasons for the increase in travel are that there are more cars, and more people able to drive them. Since 1975/1976 the number of cars and other vehicles available (per 100 Scottish households) has doubled, from 52 to 105 vehicles per 100 households. The average annual mileage per car has not changed much, remaining at around 10,000 miles per year since 1985/1986 (no corresponding figure is available for 1975/1976).

3.1.4 A national minimum standard of free off-peak bus travel for elderly and disabled people in Scotland was introduced on 30 September 2002. On 1 April 2003, the arrangements were extended to men aged 60-64. In 2004/2005 71.5% of adults aged 60+ had a concessionary fare pass; this compares to 65.9% in 1985/1986. 63% of men aged 60+ held a pass compared to 78% of women aged 60+.

3.1.5 The percentage of the adult population qualified to drive has increased ( Table 2): in 2004/2005, about 78% of men and 58% of women aged 17 or over held a full car driving licence - considerably more than the 68% of men and 34% of women in 1985/1986 (66% and 24% respectively in 1975/1976). Chart B illustrates how the rate of growth was much higher for women than for men, and the potential for further increases is much greater for women than for men. 80% of all people aged 30-49 held a driving licence in 2004/2005.

Chart C: Average number of trips
per person per year by main mode

Chart D: Average miles travelled
per person per year, by main mode

3.2 Average distance travelled per person per year by mode of travel(Table 3)

3.2.1 When the 2004/2005 average of almost 7,332 miles travelled (within Great Britain) per person per year is broken down between the different modes of travel in Table 3, it is seen that almost half the total distance (49%: 3,566 miles) was travelled as the driver of a car or a van or a lorry. (The base for all the "per person" averages is the whole population, including non-drivers: the average distance travelled as a driver would be much higher for those who can drive.) The NTS's normal convention is to include vans and lorries with cars when reporting the results. Table 3 shows that only a small percentage of personal travel is by van or lorry. Henceforth, all references to "car" should be taken as also including vans and lorries. A further 29% (just over 2,000 miles) was travelled as a passenger in a car. So, cars accounted for over three quarters of the total distance travelled per person. No other mode of travel accounted for more than 10%: "local bus" had the next highest share with almost 6% (436 miles) "surface rail" just under 6% (420 miles) and "other public transport" (which includes air) accounted for 4% (319 miles). Walking accounted for only 3% (196 miles), and cycling for only 0.4% (26 miles per person per year).

3.2.2 Cars accounted for 90% of the increase of over 2,600 miles since 1985/1986 in the average distance travelled per person per year. The average distance travelled per person as a driver rose by over 1,600 miles, and as a passenger in a car rose by over 750 miles. As a result, the car's share of the total distance travelled rose from 70% to 77%. Over the same period, there were falls in the average distances walked (from 286 miles to 196 miles). At the same time there was rapid growth in "other public transport" (which includes air), which rose from about 50 miles to a few hundred miles - the figure varies somewhat between the periods, presumably due to sampling variability (the inclusion, by chance, of more users of modes such as air - or of people who make greater use of those modes - in the sample in some years than in other years). There was little overall change for the other modes of travel: some of the apparent changes, such as the fluctuations in the figures for rail, could be due to sampling variability rather than any real change in travel patterns (over the same period, total Scottish rail passenger numbers have been much more stable than the NTS estimates).

3.3 Trips per person per year, Average distance travelled per person per year, and Average length of trip - all by main mode of travel(Tables 4, 5, 6; Charts C and D)

3.3.1 In the case of a trip with more than one stage ( e.g. by bus to a railway station, then by train to - say - Manchester), Table 3's figures are based upon counting separately the distance for each mode of travel used for each stage of the trip. However, the other analyses of "mode" in this bulletin use the main mode of travel for the trip as a whole (in the example given, this would be 'rail'). Hence, the distances shown for each mode of travel in Table 3 may differ slightly from those shown for each main mode of travel in Table 5 and some other tables. In addition, it should be noted that (for reasons given in paragraph 4.2.6) the modes that are shown may differ between tables: for example, "private hire bus" and "non-local bus" appear as separate modes of travel in Table 3 but are included in the "other..." categories in other tables.

3.3.2 In 2004/2005, on average, 1,014 trips were made per person per year (Table 4). Cars were the main mode of travel for over half of them (62%), with 40% (407) made as a driver and 23% (229) made as a passenger. The car's 62% share of the number of trips is less than its 77% share of the distance travelled (Table 5) because many short trips are made by foot: the average of 242 walking trips per person per year represents 24% of all trips (Table 4), but walking only accounts for 2% of the distance travelled (Table 5) - a difference that can be seen clearly when Chart C and Chart D are compared.

3.3.3 Table 4 shows that the overall average number of trips made per person per year did not change greatly between 1985/1986 and 2004/2005 (apparent period-to-period changes of a few percent may be due to sampling variability - see Section 4.2.5). However, there were large increases in the average numbers of trips per person made mainly by car, with 'driver' trips rising by 78% and 'passenger' trips up by 47%. At the same time, the average numbers of trips per person made mainly by foot or by local bus fell, by 42% and 28% respectively.

3.3.4 The average distances travelled per person per year by main mode of travel are shown in Table 5. The main trends are very similar to those shown in Table 3 and described in section 3.2: there are large rises for 'car driver' and 'car passenger', and a large fall for 'walk'. The average distance travelled per year by 'local bus' has risen slightly (3%) despite the 28% drop in trips shown in Table 4: it seems that the average length of local bus trips has increased ( see Table 6) from 3.8 miles in 1985/1986 to 5.4 miles in 2004/2005. Over the same period, there has been little change in the average lengths of car trips as a car driver (around 8_ miles) and of walking trips (about _ mile). Since 1985/1986, the average length of a rail trip has remained around 30 miles.

3.4 Trips per person per year by distance and by main mode of travel, and long distance trips by main mode(Tables 7, 8, 9)

3.4.1 Table 7 shows that, in 2004/2005, over a fifth of all trips were of under a mile (22%: 226 of the average of 1,014 per person per year), 19% were of at least 1 mile but under 2 miles in length, and 25% were at least 2 but under 5 miles. So, in total, 42% of all trips were under 2 miles in length, and 67% were under 5 miles in length. Only 5% of trips involved a distance of 25 miles or over

3.4.2 Over two-thirds of walking trips were under a mile in length (166 out of 242). About 8% of car trips involved a distance less than a mile, and a further 17% were at least 1 mile but under 2 miles, so around a quarter of all car trips were under 2 miles in length. Of all trips of under mile, 73% were made by foot (166 out of 226) and 23% were made by car. In the case of trips of at least 1 mile but under 2 miles, 31% 31% were made by foot, 57% by car and 9% by public transport. So, in total, 54% of all trips of under two miles were made by foot, and 39% by car.

3.4.3 Since 1985/1986, there has been a fall in the number of trips of under a mile in length, little change in the number of 1-2 mile trips, and the numbers of trips involving longer distances have risen (Table 8).

3.4.4 The NTS defines a long-distance trip as a trip of 50 miles or more ( Table 9). In order to increase the sample size for the analysis of such trips, four year's data are used (2002/2005). 80% of long-distance trips within GB are made by car (47% as a driver and 33% as a passenger), 9% are made by rail, 5% by bus and 5% by air. The car is used less frequently as journey distance increases; 28% of journeys over 350 miles are made by car (11% as a driver and 17% as a passenger), with 51% being made by air and 18% by rail.

3.5 Trips per person per year by purpose and by main mode of travel(Table 10)

3.5.1 "Shopping" was the most frequent purpose of travel in 2004/2005, accounting for 20% of trips (207 out of the average of 1,014 trips per person per year). The other main purposes of travel were "commuting" (17%) and "visiting friends at home" (12%).

3.5.2 In 2004/2005, 55% of commuting trips (93 out of 170) were made as a car driver. The other most frequently used means of travel for commuting purposes were as a passenger in a car (14%), walking (13%), and local bus (11%). The overall figure for car is similar to that shown by the Scottish Household Survey, but the two surveys differ on the balance between "driver" and "passenger", presumably due to sampling variability. They give similar results for "walking" and "local bus". Half of all trips to or from education (32 out of 64) were on foot, and over a fifth (22%) were made as a passenger in a car. In the case of "escort education" trips, in 2004/2005, 55% (16 out of 29) were made as a car driver, and these represented 4% of all trips made as a car driver (16 out of 407). Over half (60%) of shopping trips were made by car: 40% (83 out of 207) as a driver and 20% as a passenger. A quarter of trips to the shops were made on foot, and 12% using a local bus.

3.6 Average distance travelled per person per year by purpose and by main mode(Table 11)

3.6.1 Commuting purposes accounted for the largest single proportion of the total distance travelled within Great Britain in 2004/2005: 19% of the total (1,369 miles out of the average of 7,332 miles travelled per person per year), followed by visiting friends at home (16%). Shopping accounted for 14% of the distance travelled; holidays and day trips for 12%, and business for 11%.

3.6.2 A quarter (25%) of the total distance travelled as a car driver was for commuting purposes (889 miles out of 3,549 miles), a further 15% for business purposes, 13% was in order to visit friends at home, and 13% was for shopping.

3.7 Trends in Trips per person per year, Average distance travelled per person per year, and Average length of trip - all by purpose of travel(Tables 12, 13, 14; Charts E, F)

3.7.1 Table 12 suggests that, between 1985/1986 and 2004/2005, the average number of trips per person per year increased slightly. However, there have been some period-to-period fluctuations, which could be due to sampling variability: broadly speaking, there has not been much change, as the figures for the seven periods have all been within 6-7% of their overall average of 1,047. The purpose for which there was the largest percentage increase in the average numbers of trips was "other personal business…" (up 15 or 17%). Chart E shows that most rises occurred at the start of the period and that, in some cases, there have been falls in the numbers of trips since then. There was a 6% fall in the number of commuting trips since 1985/1986. Sampling variability affecting the results for 1985/1986 may have exaggerated the fall in the average number of trips to a place of education: a 37% reduction from 102 to 64 is unlikely when the figures for the periods in between fluctuated in the range 69 to 82.

Chart E: Average number of trips per person per year - for the most frequent purposes

Chart F: Average length of trip (miles) - for the most frequent purposes

3.7.2 The average distance travelled per person per year increased by 58% between 1985/1986 and 2004/2005, from under 4,700 miles to over 7,300 miles (Table 13). The main reasons for this were the rises in the average distances travelled per head for shopping (up 470 miles or 87%), "other personal business" (up 234 miles or 86%), business (up 293 miles or 56%), holidays and day trips (up 302 miles or 55%) and visiting friends at home (up 375 miles or 49%). Chart F illustrates this, for those purposes for which most trips were made.

3.7.3 The average trip length rose from 4.8 miles in 1985/1986 to 7.2 miles in 2004/2005 (Table 14), with increases in the length of trip for almost every purpose. For example, the average length of commuting trips rose from 5.4 miles to 8.1 miles, and for shopping trips the increase was from 2.9 miles to 4.9 miles.

3.8 Hours travelled per person, and average duration of trip, by purpose(Tables 15 and 16)

3.8.1 Table 15 shows that, in 2004/2005, 19% of hours travelled per person were for commuting. Shopping accounted for 17%, and visiting friends at home for 13%. There have not been great changes in the total amount of time spent travelling for most purposes.

3.8.2 Since 1985/1986 there have not been great changes in the average duration of trip by purpose (Table 16): the main exception is holiday/day trip (down from 74 minutes in 1985/1986 to 48 minutes in 2004/2005). Generally the other figures have been fairly constant since 1985/1986.

3.9 Average distance travelled per person per year by main mode and by socio-economic group(Table 17)

3.9.1 The average distance travelled per person per year varied greatly with the socio-economic group of the head of the household. In 2004/2005, people in households headed by a professional person or a manager averaged over 10,000 miles each per year (42% more than the overall average of 7,332 miles per head) whereas people in households headed by someone who was retired, or otherwise economically inactive, tended to travel much less: for example, those in households headed by a retired person averaged only 4,570 miles each per year (38% below the average). The differences between the socio-economic groups were greatest for the average distance travelled per person as a driver: this averaged over 5,500 miles per year for people in households headed by a professional or managerial worker, 1,702 miles per year for people in households headed by a retired person, and just over 1,000 miles per year for people in households headed by someone who is otherwise economically inactive.

3.10 Trips per person per year, and Average distance travelled per person per year by main mode and by ( GB) household income quintile(Tables 18, 19; Chart G)

3.10.1 Data by income quintile were not available from the Department for Transport when this publication was sent to the printers. In consequence, Table 18 shows 2002/2003 results as published in the previous edition of this bulletin ( i.e. not weighted with the retrospective weights devised in 2006), and there are no results for Table 19 (as this was to be new table for this edition). The 2004/2005 version of Table 18 and Table 19 will be placed on the Web site when the data are available, accessed via www.scotland.gov.uk/transtat/sheets.

Chart G: Average number of trips per person per year - 2004/2005 (2002/2003 for household income quintiles - see text)

3.10.2 The basis of the ( GB) household income quintile groups is described in section 4.6.2. Table 18 shows that, in 2002/2003, there was a clear tendency for the average number of trips per person per year to increase with the level of the household income: people in the highest quintile household income group averaged almost 1,200 trips per year, 21% more than the overall average of 991; people in the lowest quintile household income group averaged just over 850 trips per year, 14% below the overall average. The number of trips made as a car driver increased sharply with household income: those in the highest band averaged just over 620 such trips, whereas those in the lowest band averaged just over 160. People in the lowest household income band made more trips on foot, and more trips by local bus, than those in the highest income band.

3.11 Trips per person per year by main mode, purpose and household size, and by number of cars available to the household(Table 20, 21, 22; Chart G)

3.11.1 As would be expected, the average number of trips per person per year varied considerably with the availability of a household car (if any). Table 20 shows that people in households with one car averaged 1,050 trips per year, 4% more than the overall average of 1,014 and those in 2+ car households averaged 1,129 trips per year, 11% above the overall average. People in households without a car averaged 757 trips per year, 25% below the overall average. People living in households with one car available made almost 39% more trips (per head) in general than members of households with no car: residents in households with two or more cars available made almost 50% more trips per head than people in households with no car. Table 20 shows that people in households without a car averaged about twice as many trips by foot, and almost six times as many trips by local bus, as those in households with 2+ cars. Those in households with 2+ cars made twice as many trips for commuting purposes (Table 21) than those in households with no car, and almost six times as many trips for business purposes.

3.11.2 The final two columns of Table 22 show that the sample sizes for some household size categories are small. Within each household size category, the sample size for each "number of cars" category will be even smaller. Therefore, some of the results shown may be subject to large percentage sampling errors, being based on data for small numbers of people, and the apparent differences between some categories may just be due to sampling variability. However, it appears that single person households, particularly those with no car, made the fewest trips per person per year and that, for a given size of household, those with more cars available generally made more trips per person.

3.12 Trips per adult (16+) per year by purpose, by type of area and number of cars available to the household(Tables 23, 24)

3.12.1 The tables in this section provide average numbers of trips per adult. Table 23 shows that overall, on average, adults in households with 2+ cars available made about 12% more trips each than the overall average per adult, and adults in households without a car made about 27% fewer trips each.

3.12.2 There are around 46% more trips per adult for the purposes of commuting or business in households with 2+ cars than in households with one car available, but 17% fewer shopping trips per adult (Table 23).

3.12.3 Table 24 shows how the number of trips per adult apparently varies with the type of area. The final column shows that the sample sizes for some types of area are small. Within each type of area, the sample size for each "number of cars" category will be even smaller. Therefore, some of the results shown may be subject to large percentage sampling errors, being based on data for small numbers of adults, and the apparent differences between the figures for the various types of area are often not so large that one can be confident that they reflect real differences between areas.

3.13 Trips per person per year, and Average distance per person per year by main mode and by access to household car(Tables 25, 26; Chart G)

3.13.1 Table 25 shows that, in households which had cars, people who were the "main" drivers of cars ( see paragraph 4.6.6) made an average of 1,236 trips per person per year, compared with an average of just 923 for fellow household members who were non-drivers (including children). Table 26 shows that the difference is even greater for distance travelled: "main drivers" travelled 11,033 miles per person per year whereas non-driving members of their households only averaged 5,342 miles.

3.14 Trips per adult per year by purpose and by working status(Table 27; Chart G)

3.14.1 Table 27 shows that on average, adults who were working made more trips in 2004/2005 than those who were not working. Adults who were working part-time averaged almost 1,300 trips each per year (25% more than the overall average), and those working full-time averaged about 1,100 trips per year (8% above the average). Retired people averaged 795 trips each per year: 23% below the average. The sample numbers for the unemployed, students and those in the "home / other" category are small, so the results for them may not be particularly reliable. As would be expected, there was considerable variation between the groups in the reasons for their travel: for example "commuting or business" was the single most frequent purpose of travel for those who were working, and "shopping" was the main purpose of travel by retired people.

3.15 Trips per person per year, and Average distance travelled per person per year by main mode and by age and then sex(Tables 28, 29; Chart G)

3.15.1 Overall, in 2004/2005, the average number of trips per person per year was 1,014. Table 28 shows that, on average, people aged 60+ travelled less often: their average was 866 trips each, 15% fewer than the average. Children also made fewer trips (952 each per year; 6% below the average); people aged 30-59 made the most trips (1,123 each, 11% more than the average).

3.15.2 As would be expected, there were considerable differences between the age-groups in the modes of transport that they used. Table 28 shows that children made the majority of their trips either as a passenger in a car (53%: 500 of their 952 trips) or on foot (35%), whereas almost half of adults' trips were made as the driver of a car (49%: 506 out of 1,029), with far fewer by foot (21%) or as a passenger in a car (16%). For adults, the percentage of trips made as a driver of a car was highest for the 30-59 age group (58%: 653 out of 1,123); and lowest for 16-29 year olds (32%: 318 out of 979), and higher for men (57%) than women (42%). Women made slightly more of their trips on foot than men (23% compared with 20%); among adults, this percentage was highest for those aged 16-29 (27%). The proportion of trips made as a passenger in a car was considerably higher for women (21%) than men (10%), but did not differ as much between the adult age-groups (varying from 13% for 30-59 year olds to 20% for those aged 60+). The use of public transport was highest for people aged 16-29, who made 19% of their trips in this way (12% by local bus and 7% by other forms of public transport); women made around 14% of their trips by public transport, men only 10%.

3.15.3 The differences between the age-groups and the sexes are greater when one looks at the average distances travelled per person per year (Table 29). Overall, in 2004/2005, the average distance travelled per person per year was over 7,300 miles. People aged 60+ travelled just over 5,100 miles per person per year, 30% less than the overall average. Children averaged around 4,700 miles each per year, 36% below the average. People aged 30-59 travelled furthest: an average of almost 9,400 miles each per year, 28% more than the average. The difference between the sexes was marked: the men's average of nearly 9,200 miles per year was 34% above the women's average of over 6,800 miles.

3.15.4 There were considerable differences between the modes of travel which men and women used. Car driver was the main one for men, accounting for 66% of the distance they travelled (6,043 miles out of their average of 9,175 miles per man per year), whereas for women only 42% of their travel was as a car driver (averaging 2,917 miles out of 6,866 miles). Women travelled further as passengers in cars (31%: 2,151 miles out of 6,866), whereas only 13% of the distance travelled by men was as a car passenger (1,223 miles out of 9,175). Women averaged 542 miles each by local bus; men only 413. Looking now at the figures for the age groups, as children are not car drivers, 76% of the distance they travelled was as a passenger in a car and only 4% was on foot. On average, 62% of the distance travelled by people aged 30-59 was as drivers of cars compared with 47% for those aged 60+ and 39% for 16-29 year olds. Less than one fifth of the total distance travelled by 30-59 year olds was as a passenger in a car compared with over a quarter for 16-29 year olds and 29% for those aged 60+. People aged 16-29 travelled the greatest distances by public transport (29% of their total distance travelled), this compares to 16-19% of distance travelled by public transport for all other adults.

3.16 Trips per person per year by purpose and by age and sex(Table 30; Chart G)

3.16.1 Table 30 shows that there were also considerable differences in the purposes for which trips were made. For children, education was the most frequent purpose, accounting for 27% of their trips (260 out of the average of 952 trips per child per year). The main purpose of travel for those aged 16-29, and for those aged 30-59, was commuting or business: it accounted for 29% of their trips. Shopping was the main purpose of travel for those aged 60+, accounting for 35% of trips (306 out of 866). For men, commuting or business was the purpose of 29% of trips (299 out of 1,014); for women, it was only 20% (212 out of 1,042). For women, the most frequent purpose was shopping, accounting for 26% of trips (268 out of 1,042); for men, it was 21% (211 out of 1,014).

3.17 Trends in average distance travelled per person per year, and in Trips per person per year by age and then by sex(Tables 31, 32)

3.17.1 Table 31 shows that the average distance travelled per person in 2004/2005 was higher than in 1985/1986 for all age-groups and for each sex. There were greater percentage increases for women than for men, perhaps reflecting the more rapid growth for women than men in the percentage of adults who have a full car driving licence. The percentage rise was greatest for those aged 60+ for both sexes.

3.17.2 Table 32 shows that, from 1985/1986 to 1995/1997 on average, men made more trips per person per year than women, however over the last ten years the numbers of trips made by men and women have been about the same.

3.18 Frequency of walks of 20 minutes or more by age and then by sex(Table 33)

3.18.1 Respondents were asked how often they took walks of 20 minutes or more without stopping, for any reason. Unlike trips recorded in the travel diary, this included walks which were not on the public highway or in parks. Table 33 shows that more than a third of respondents made a walk of 20 minutes or more 3 or more times a week, and a further fifth at least once or twice a week. Nearly a quarter of people said that they did this less than once a year or never. 38% of those in each of the 0-15, 16-29 30-59 age groups walked for 20 minutes or more at least three times a week; this compares to 30% of those aged 60+

3.19 Trends in trips to and from school, by main mode(Table 34)

3.19.1 In 2004/2005, over half (54%) of trips to and from school by pupils (aged 5 to 16) were on foot. This compares to 23% by car, 20% by bus, 1% by bicycle and 2% by other modes of transport. Since 1985/1986, the percentage walking has fallen (from 69%) and the percentage going by car has risen (from 6%); there appears to have been little change (apart, perhaps, from sampling fluctuations) since the mid-1990s. The Scottish Household Survey is a much better source of information on trends since 1999, because its sample size is much larger.

3.20 Trips by people aged 60+ by main mode, concessionary fare pass possession and sex(Table 35)

3.20.1 Overall, people aged 60+ who had a concessionary fare pass made 25% more trips (900 compared to 722) per person per year than those without a pass. Older people who held a pass made almost seven times as many local bus trips as those without a pass, 79% more walking trips, and 22% fewer car driver trips than those without a pass. The difference between those with a pass and those without a pass was greater for women aged 60+ than men; women with a pass made almost 9 times as many local bus trips than women without a pass, whereas men with a pass made 5 times as many local bus journey than those without a pass.

3.21 Person trips per household per year by main mode, purpose, household composition and number of cars available to the household(Tables 36, 37, 38)

3.21.1 Previous sections have provided the results in terms of the averages per person, or per adult. This section provides results in terms of the averages per household - so there are large differences between the figures for households of different sizes, and more marked differences than in earlier sections between the figures for households with different numbers of cars (because the households with larger numbers of cars tend to be those with more members).

3.21.2 Table 36 shows that overall, households with no car made 47% fewer trips than the average and households with 2+ cars made 50% more. Almost half of all trips made by members of households with no car were made on foot and around a quarter were made by local bus. This compares with 22% of trips made by foot and 6% made by local bus in households with one car and 16% of trips made by foot and only 3% by local bus in households with 2+ cars. Over three quarters of trips made by households with 2+ cars were either as a driver of or a passenger in a car. This compares to an overall average of 63% for all households, and only 17% for households with no cars.

3.21.3 In 2004/2005 households with no car made around 27% fewer shopping trips ( Table 37) than the overall average (though shopping did account for the highest proportion of their trips) whilst households with 2+ cars made 19% more shopping trips than the overall average. Households with 2 or more cars available made over four times as many trips for commuting or business purposes and escort education purposes than those with no car available.

3.21.4 The final two columns of Table 38 show the underlying sample sizes. It is clear that and some of the figures may be subject to large percentage sampling errors, being based on data for small number of cases. Therefore one should not read too much into some of the apparent differences between categories, as they may just be due to sampling variability. However, it is clear that, as would be expected, larger households make more trips than smaller ones. Overall households with 1 adult make under half the overall average number of trips per household, whilst households with 2 adults make over 15% more than the overall average; households with three or more adults make around 60% more trips than the overall average. Within each category, the number of trips made by the household tends to increase with the number of children in the household, and also with the number of cars available to the household.

3.21.5 Overall, one adult households with one car available made almost 39% fewer trips per household than the overall average. In comparison, two adult households with one car available made 11% more than the average trips per household, and those with 2+ cars made over 40% more trips than the overall average.

Tables: comparison with the previous edition

As the tables in the bulletin have been reordered and renumbered for this edition, the lists below are provided for ease of reference.