Average journey times – UK commuters face the hard facts
9th January 2012
Commuting is often seen as the bane of any worker’s daily routine. With the state of the economy currently being so dismal, employees are willing to travel far and wide to keep hold of their job though.
The latest figures from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) reveal that the average employee spends nearly 200 hours a year, that’s the equivalent of five weeks, traveling to and from work!
With cities pulling in workers from all directions, it may come as no surprise that London has the longest commuter times with an average of 37.8 minutes per journey, each way. The TUC revealed that the average commute for men is 26% higher than for women as they spend 219 hours a year travelling compared to just 174 for women.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber commented on the findings; 'Unnecessary long commutes are frustrating and expensive for staff, and bad for business too.”
'Smarter working must be part of the modern economy. Staff want greater access to flexible and high quality home-working and employers need to do more to provide it.”
Not only are commuters spending several weeks of their lives stuck in traffic or on trains, they are also spending over a quarter of their annual wages on transport. A survey by Hay Group has revealed that the average season ticket on the train is £2,028, which is 8% of the average salary (£25,176).
For those travelling over 50 minutes into Birmingham and London this increases to a massive 21% of the average salary. Yet figures from the Office for National Statistics show that those who commute for longer actually earn more.
Increasing congestion on the roads and largely unreliable public transport can significantly add to commuting times. As many rely on their vehicles to get them to and from work on a daily basis, it could be advisable to ensure you are fully prepared in the event of a breakdown.
Calling out an emergency recovery service without having breakdown insurance could cost you time and money, adding further stress to your journey.
Breakdown cover varies and so it might be worth checking that you have onward travel within your policy.
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