Commuters prefer driving to work over public transport, survey reveals

T

he pandemic has led to a spike in commuters opting to drive to work instead of using public transport, a survey from Close Brothers Motor Finance has revealed.

Over a third (37%) of respondents said they preferred travelling to work by car, compared to just one in 12% who would prefer to take public transport. The number of people who preferred walking was one in 10. Some 4% of commuters said they cycled to work.

The results appear to indicate a growing awareness of virus transmission on public transport, as employees headed back to their workplaces following the lifting of government restrictions. The study found that 38% had changed their preference as a result of the pandemic, with almost a third (28%) citing health benefits, and about a fifth (22%) saying they did not want to mix with people. Other reasons given for driving to work were time, (22%), ease (26%) and cost (22%).

“We’re seeing a huge influx of consumers who want to buy cars right now, after a market lull during the pandemic,” said Sean Kemple, managing director of Close Brothers Motor Finance.

“The ripple effect of multiple lockdowns across the globe and ‘pingdemic’, continues to cause issues for manufacturing. This domino effect means customers may not have the large choice of new vehicles they once did, particularly at a time where they might want to avoid public transport.”