Northern Ireland

Car still most favoured mode of transport by far

Around 70 per cent of all journeys in Northern Ireland are still made by car
Around 70 per cent of all journeys in Northern Ireland are still made by car Around 70 per cent of all journeys in Northern Ireland are still made by car

AROUND 70 per cent of all journeys in Northern Ireland are still made by car, new figures suggest.

The Travel Survey for Northern Ireland also found that people walk less than half a mile a day.

The Department for Infrastructure survey covered the period 2016 to 2018 and said people on average travelled a total of 5,868 miles a year - around 16 miles a day.

Efforts have been made through advertising and campaigns to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport to cut down the number of vehicles on the roads.

However, the survey found that an average of 633 car journeys were taken per person each year, equating to 70 per cent of all journeys.

This was down slightly from 72 per cent in the period 2013-2015.

Only around 19 per cent of all journeys were made on foot - 169 per person per year.

Public transport accounted for just five per cent of all journeys, or 47 per person over the course of a year.

Just under a quarter of all journeys were made by walking, cycling or public transport, down from 25 per cent in the previous period.

The most common form of transport for the school run for children aged four to 11 was car or van (61 per cent), following by walking (23 per cent) and public transport (12 per cent).

However, the most common mode for those aged 12 to 18 was public transport (46 per cent).

The survey found that almost a quarter of all journeys made in the two-year period were for leisure purposes, 17 per cent were shopping, 16 per cent were commuting and 13 per cent for personal business.

Anne Madden of sustainable transport charity Sustrans described the results as disappointing.

"Despite the government’s commitment to increasing active travel, this survey shows people’s travel habits are still dominated by the car," she said.

"There has been a two per cent drop in car journeys in recent years which is a positive step but there are still too many people travelling unsustainably which is not good for our health or the environment."

Ms Madden said more investment is needed in a "better cycling infrastructure and behaviour change programmes to encourage people out of their cars".

"Anecdotally we can see where there are protected cycle lanes and traffic-free greenways, such as in east Belfast, more people are taking to bikes," she said.

"Sustrans has been urging government to commit funding to build the infrastructure required for safe walking and cycling routes to all our schools and to make towns and cities across Northern Ireland more liveable."