Chapter 11 - Personal and cross-modal travel

Introduction

This chapter previously included information from the National Travel Survey (NTS). However, Scottish data are no longer collected in the NTS, estimates for Scotland from the NTS are available in previous editions of this publication. This chapter now focuses on estimates derived mainly from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS), findings from others sources are marked as such within the text. 

The SHS is a sample survey and provide person-based cross-modal information, in contrast to most of the earlier chapters, which tend to be based on particular modes of transport. The SHS also includes a travel diary that asks respondents for information about the journeys they made on the previous day, including information on the duration, distance, purpose and mode of travel. More information and further tables covering transport findings from the Scottish Household Survey can be found in Transport and Travel in Scotland

In this edition of STS we have also presented relevant information on travel behaviours collected from the 2011 census as previously published by the National Records of Scotland. More information about the sources used can be found in the Sources section on page 225.

Key points

• 61% of people had travelled the previous day when asked as part of the 2022 Scottish Household Survey.
• Of the 396 million public transport journeys made in 2022, 76 per cent were by bus, 16 per cent were journeys by rail, air accounts for 5 per cent and ferries 2 per cent.
• Thirty per cent of journeys to work and 73 per cent of journeys to school are by public and active travel.

 

Main Points

Trips

In the 2022 Scottish Household Survey 61% of people reported having travelled the previous day.

As in previous years, the car was the most popular mode of transport for journeys made in 2022, with 55% of journeys made as a car driver.

Twenty two per cent of adults used the bus at least once per week in 2022, whereas only 8% used the train. The gap was less for usage over the past month, with 37% using a bus compared to 24% for the train. 

Distance travelled

In 2022, most journeys tended to be over short distances, with 17% of all journeys being under 1 km long and a further 25% between 1 and 3 km. The average (median) journey distance in 2020 was 4.3 km.

The average (median) walking journey was 1.0 km in length in 2022. Car journeys tended to be over greater distances, with a median car driver journey of 6.7 km.

In 2021, shopping (23%) and going to work (21%) were the most frequent journey purposes.

Duration travelled

In terms of time, most journeys in 2022 (67%) lasted for less than 20 minutes. Only 6% of journeys lasted more than an hour.

Car access

Adults in households with more cars were more likely to have travelled the previous day – in 2022, 49% of adults living in households with no cars normally available travelled the previous day, compared to 66% of adults with two or more cars. 

Car driving by adults increased with an increase in car availability. Where no car was normally available, 2% of adults’ journeys were as a driver of a car, compared to 56% where one car was available, and 72% where two or more cars were available.

Adults in households with no car access made a far higher proportion of their journeys by public and active travel in 2022. Where no cars were available there was a far higher proportion of journeys by foot: 53%, compared to 22% where one car was available and 13% where there were two or more cars. The proportion of trips by bus was also considerably higher for adults in households with no car: 24%, compared to 5% for those with one car and 2% for those with at least two cars.

Driving

The Scottish Household Survey (SHS) provides information about how often people aged 17 or over drive. In 2022, 38% of men, 31% of women and 34% of all people aged 17+ said that they drove every day. A further 32% stated they drove at least once a week (but not every day), 3% drove less frequently, 5% had a full driving licence but never drove, and 27% did not have a full driving licence. (Table 11.10)

The frequency of driving varied with age. In 2022, 45% of people aged 40 to 49 said they drove every day. As age rises this falls (to 13% for people aged 80 and over). The frequency of driving also varied with the annual net income of the household. Forty seven percent of people aged 17+ living in households with an annual net income of £50,000 or more said they drove every day, compared with 16 percent of those living in households with an annual net income of up to £10,000. Over a quarter (26%) of people aged 17+ in large urban areas drove every day compared to 39% in ‘remote rural’ areas. (Table 11.10)

Walking

In 2022, 67% of adults made a journey of more than a quarter of a mile by foot to go somewhere in the last seven days – the second highest proportion seen in the last decade. Young adults (aged 16-19) were the most likely to have walked to go somewhere (71%), compared with 66% of those aged 50-59. Adults aged over 80 were the lowest at 43% (Tables 11.11 & 11.13)

In 2021, 74% of adults said that they had walked for pleasure or to keep fit at least once in the last seven days – the highest in recent times. There was some variation with age: the percentage was highest for those aged 30-39 (82%) and lowest for those aged 80 or above (80%). There was less variation with household income, although those with net annual incomes of over £30,000 were more likely than those with lower incomes. (Tables 11.11 & 11.13)

Travel to Work (SHS data)

The SHS shows that 40% of employed adults worked from home in 2022. Seventy six percent of self-employed people worked from home. (Tables 11.17 & 11.21)

Overall, the SHS found that the majority (68%) of employed adults who did not work from home travelled to work by car or van (as either the driver or as a passenger) in 2022. This percentage tended to increase with age (20-39: 69%, Over 40: around 70% to 76%), type of employment (60% of those who work part-time, compared to 70% for full-time) and annual net household income (rising to 77% of those in the £50,000+ band). (Table 11.18)

Other usual means of travel to work were: walking (13%); bus (9%); rail (4%); bicycle (3%) and other modes (2%). Use of such modes of transport also varied. For example: in general, the greater the income of the household, the less likely a person was to walk or use the bus to travel to work; the percentage who walked to work was highest in small remote towns (27%) and the percentage who commuted by bus was highest in large urban areas (15%). (Tables 11.18 & 11.22)

Travel To Work (non-SHS data)

Other data sources show a similar pattern to the Scottish Household Survey data and also enable comparison with the rest of Great Britain.

Labour Force Survey results suggest that, between 2012 and 2022, there has been little change in the percentage for whom a car or a van is the usual means of travel to work (68% in 2012 and 70% in 2022). There was little change to walking which was 12% in 2012 and 13% in 2022. People who work at home are excluded from these figures. These figures are similar to the findings from the SHS shown in table 11.18. (Table 11.14)

There appears to have been little change in recent years in the average times taken to travel to work by the main modes of transport (in 2022: 23 minutes by car; 42 minutes by bus and 16 minutes by foot). (Table 11.15 b)

The Scottish Census 2011 showed 2.4 million people aged between 16 and 74 in employment, excluding full-time students. 11% of these worked mainly from home. Of the remaining 2.1 million people, 36% had a journey of under 5 km to work, 43% had a journey of between 5 km and 30 km to work and 8% travelled 30 km or more to work. The remaining 12% had no fixed place of work, worked offshore or worked outside the UK. (Table 11.31).

Information about travel to work has been collected in population censuses since 1966. Excluding those that worked at home, the percentage of the working population using cars to travel to work had increased from 21% in 1966 to 69% in 2011 and the percentage using buses had fallen from 43% in 1966 to 11% in 2011.There had also been a significant fall in the proportion of the working population who walk to work, from 24% in 1966 to 11% in 2011. (Table 11.16)

The 2011 Census showed that the distance of people’s journey to work tended to vary with their access to cars or vans. Seventy-four per cent of people living in households with no car or van available had a commute of fewer than 10 km, compared with 60 per cent of those in households with one car or van available and 47 per cent of those in households with two or more cars or vans available. Conversely, the proportion of people who travelled 30 km or more to work was higher for people in households with two or more cars or vans available (10 per cent) than for those in households with one car or van available (7 per cent) or with no cars or vans available (4 per cent). (Table 11.33)

Travel to School

In 2022, 50% of children in full-time education at school usually walked to school, 21% usually went by bus, 26% by car or van, 1% cycled. There was little difference between the sexes, but varied greatly with age: 57% of primary school age pupils (those aged up to 11) usually walked to school compared with only 42% of those of secondary school age (those aged 12 and over); 31% of primary pupils went by car or van compared with only 19% of secondary pupils; and only 9% of primary pupils usually travelled by bus compared with 36% of those of secondary age. (Table 11.19)

Those usually travelling by car/van tended to rise with household income, to around 22% of pupils from households with an annual net income between £20,000 and £40,000, reflecting patterns seen elsewhere in this chapter e.g. travel to work and car use more generally. Walking to school was lowest (28%) in remote rural areas. The Sustrans Hands Up Scotland Survey shows similar findings. (Tables 11.19, 11.23 & 11.23a)

According to the 2011 Scottish Census, 88% of children aged between 4 and 11 travelled less than 5 km to school, including 72% who travelled less than 2 km. 51% of those aged over 18 travelled less than 5 km to their place of study. 430,000 people of any age travelled under 2 km to their place of study, with 73% of these people travelling by foot, 6% travelling by bus and 17% as a passenger in a car or van. Of the 428,000 people who travelled 2 km or more to their place of study, 31 per cent did so as a car driver or passenger, 43 per cent travelled by bus and 7 per cent travelled by train. (Table 11.34 & 11.35)

Travel Abroad

According to the International Passenger Survey (IPS) survey, Scottish residents made an estimated 4.6 million visits abroad in 2022 with 4.4 million visits (97%) being made by air. Edinburgh was the main airport used and accounted for about 2.3 million visits (50% of all visits abroad), followed by Glasgow (1.1 million or 23%), Aberdeen (155,000 or 3%). Around 67,000 visits abroad (1.5%) were made by sea. Figures for the Channel Tunnel were not available. (Table 11.24)

Around 69% of Scottish residents' visits abroad were made for holiday purposes. Of these, 1.6 million (34%) were on a package holiday whilst the rest travelled independently. There were 968,000 (21%) visits abroad to visit friends or relatives and 326,000 visits abroad for business purposes (7%). (Table 11.24)

Forty one per cent (1.9 million) of Scottish residents' visits abroad were made to EU countries and visits to other European areas totalled 15,000 (0.3%). Visits to Canada and the USA together totalled about 407,000 (9%). (Table 11.25)

The estimated number of visits abroad by Scottish residents rose from 4.2 million in 2004 to a peak of 4.8 million in 2008, a rise of 14%. There were then increases(apart from 2013) in the numbers each year from 2010 until 2019, an increase of 41%. Between 2005 and 2008 there was a decline in the number of package holidays, although since 2009 the trend has been upwards . Those travelling independently has generally increased as well. Other holidays increased by 14% between 2009 and 2019. There was also a large increase in the number of visits to friends and relatives over the same period, with numbers doubling between 2009 and 2018 and falling 23% between 2018 and 2019. Some of the apparent year-to-year changes may be due to sampling variability, however, the general trends reflect patterns described elsewhere in this publication. (Table 11.26)

Transport Model for Scotland

Information on travel between different parts of Scotland is available from the Transport Model for Scotland (TMfS). The base year of TMfS is 2018.

It is estimated that, on an average weekday in 2018, 6.35 million person-trips were made by car, bus or train across the boundaries of one or more of the zones which are within the area covered by the TMfS. Just over one third (35%) of these trips were within the Clydeplan region, 24% within SESplan region, 6% within TAYplan, and 9% within Aberdeen City & Shire. (Table 11.27)

Of the 6.35 million inter-zonal person trips per weekday it is estimated that 5.4 million were by car. These accounted for over four-fifths of the total, and the main features of the pattern of trips by car were similar to those described in the previous paragraph. There were also an estimated 900 thousand inter-zonal person-trips by bus or train per weekday. Two fifths of these were within Clydeplan, and just over a quarter were within SESplan. (Table 11.27)

There was an average of just over 4.6 million journeys per weekday by cars and goods vehicles, with each vehicle containing one or more people. One third were within Clydeplan, and just under a quarter were within SESplan. (Table 11.27)

Concessionary Travel

158 million passenger journeys were made under all types of concessionary fare schemes in 2022-23, 73% more than in 2021-22. Concessionary travel schemes have varied over the years: a national minimum standard of free off-peak local bus travel for elderly and disabled people in Scotland was introduced from 30 September 2002, the scheme was extended to men aged 60-64 from 1 April 2003. In 2006 this was superseded by the introduction of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme for the elderly and disabled which allowed free bus travel across Scotland. The Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme launched in January 2022. The scheme provides free bus travel across the country for everyone living in Scotland between the ages of 5 and 21 with a valid NEC. Including the young persons’ scheme, concessionary bus travel accounted for 153 million passenger journeys in 2022-23, 97% of concessionary journeys by all modes of transport). (Table 11.29)

Traveline Scotland

In 2022 Traveline Scotland received 92,300 telephone calls which was 1% more than the previous year. Its Web site and smart phone app recorded 22 million hits in 2022, down 11% from the previous year. (Table 11.30).

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Notes

Note 1

The frequency of driving is shown only for those who hold a full driving licence

Note 2

The number of days in the previous seven days on which the person made a trip of more than a quarter of a mile by foot for the specified purpose.

Note 3

This question was asked in even years until 2016, but missed in 2018. Figures will be available in alternate years from 2019.

Note 4

From April 2003, the questionnaire changed such that information on possession of driving licences and frequency of driving was no longer collected from the head of the household, or his/her spouse/partner, about all adults in the household, but instead from one randomly chosen adult member of the household about him or herself.

Note 5

Question now asked in survey every other year. 2018 is the most recent data available.

Note 6

This category includes jogging and walking a dog.

Note 7

Note: This table is no longer being updated. Henceforth, information about average times taken to travel to work will be given in Table 11.15 (b), which is on the basis that is used to produce such figures for DfT's "Regional Transport Statistics".

Note 8

Sample size for this cell is too small for reliable estimates.

Note 9

Some of the figures shown in table 11.15 (b) differ slightly from those in 11.15 (a) due to differing methodology used to extract. Results are weighted using population estimates to ensure they are representative of the population at large.

Note 10

Data are for males and females in employment aged 16-99.

Note 11

Maximum recorded value of usual travel to work time = 180 minutes.

Note 12

The large fall between 2010 and 2011 is due to a small sample size with a small number of very extreme values that are very sensitive to change

Note 13

Excluding those who worked at home in 1981, 1991 and 2001 (who were not identified separately in the 1966 and 1971 Census travel to work figures)

Note 14

Less than half a per cent but greater than zero.

Note 15

Includes 'none' in 1971

Note 16

Includes 'none' in 1966; unspecified means of 'Public transport' in 1971, and 'not stated' in all years apart from 2001 (when there was no "not stated" category).

Note 17

Those whose current situation was described as self-employed, employed full-time or employed part-time.

Note 18

Including the Glasgow Underground .

Note 19

e.g. Edinburgh trams, motorcycle, lorry, taxi, ferry, etc.

Note 20

Value supressed as sample size contains fewer than 50 responses

Note 21

Denotes cell value supressed as based on fewer than 5 responses

Note 22

For those in full time education at school. The Main method of transport is recorded if there is more than one method.

Note 23

Including those who were said to travel by school bus, private bus, and a few who went by works bus.

Note 24

Including the Glasgow Underground.

Note 25

The main method of transport is recorded if the journey involves more than one method.

Note 26

Including those who were said to travel by private bus, and a few who went by works bus.

Note 27

All schools excluding nursery

Note 28

These estimates are based on information from samples of passengers using the principal routes- see sections 3.14 and 4.4 of the text.

Note 29

“Other UK ports” includes information collected from Rosyth in 2008 Q2 & Q3. There are minor differences between Tables 11.26, 11.27 and 11.28, due to totals being calculated by adding separately-rounded numbers.

Note 30

Prestwick airport was removed from the sample in quarter 2 of 2016.

Note 31

These estimates are based on information from samples of passengers using the principal routes: the International Passenger Survey does not provide any information about passengers using other routes (e.g.Rosyth) - see sections 11.2 (page 283) and 11.7 (page 288) of the notes and definitions. Prestwick airport was added to the International Passenger Survey sample in 2005, so there are no figures for it prior to then. Removed from the sample quarter 2 of 2016 The results for 2003 and earlier years differ from those published previously because ONS has revised the series retrospectively - for example, the EU/Other Europe breakdown now reflects the position following the enlargement of the EU in 2004.

Note 32

IPS changed the methodology for processing the imbalance within the survey data collection. Figures from 2009 have been revised and are not comparable with previous years.

Note 33

All travel movements between the 803 zones used to represent the UK. - see section 4.5 of the commentary. The number of shorter distance trips which travel within a model zone area is not known.

Note 34

East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire

Note 35

City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Fife (South), Scottish Borders and West Lothian

Note 36

Dundee City, Angus, Perth & Kinross and Fife (North)

Note 37

This traffic and travel data was extracted from the Transport Model for Scotland 2018 (TMfS18) (Base Year Version DL, Model Version TMfS18 V1.0). The data reflects daily travel movements within a 2018 base year and represents the most recent data available from the LATIS service TMfS18 covers the whole of the Scottish Strategic Transport network. England is represented with much less detail. The data reflects 'inter-zonal trips', which includes all travel movements between the 803 zones used to represent the UK. The data does not include more local or short distance movements travelling wholly within model zones.

Note 38

Figures include a degree of estimation (e.g. allowances for claims not yet been processed) and may incur some small revisions to previously published data.

Note 39

The National Concessionary Travel bus scheme was introduced on 1st April 2006, which allows elderly and disabled free travel on all scheduled bus services in Scotland. This replaced any local schemes.

Note 40

2001-02 & 2002-03 figures do not include Eilean Siar.

Note 41

The Young People's Concessionary Travel Scheme started in 8 January 2007, aimed at 16 to 18 year olds (inclusive) and full time volunteers (aged under 26).

Note 42

The Reimbursement Rate for the National Concessionary Travel bus scheme changed from 73.6% applicable 2006/07 to 2009/10, to 67% applicable 2010/11 to 2012/13, to 61% in 2013/14, to 58.1% in 2014/15, to 57.1% in 2015/16, to 56.9% in 2016/17 and 2017/18, to 56.8% in 2018/19, to 56.5% in 2019/20, to 55.9% in 2020/21.

Note 43

A small charge was introduced for ferries in 2010.

Note 44

Financial year end figures for 2019/20 impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic

Note 45

Traveline Scotland went live for telephone calls on 3 January 2001. Its internet service became operational on 27 October 2002, and was formally launched on 16 December 2002, but statistics of its use are only available from the start of 2003. 

Note 46

The figures relate to the weeks which ended on Fridays which were in the specified calendar year - for example, the figures for "2003" cover the 52 weeks from the one ending on Friday 3 January 2003 to the week ending on Friday 26 December 2003, inclusive.

Note 47

Categerisation of unanswered calls no longer takes place.

Note 48

Daily averages are calculated by dividing the total for all the weeks ending in the year by the number of days in those weeks (e.g. 52 x 7 = 364). Therefore, they may differ slightly from the result that would be obtained if one divided by the actual number of days in the year (365 or 366).

Note 49

HIts are the record of unique visits to the web site. The web site supplier changed on 1 January 2006 and the new supplier defined hits in a more robust way than the previous supplier so the figures for 2006 onwards are not on a like for like basis with previous years.

Note 50

Total number of hits now includes visits to bus departure boards on the Traveline Scotland app Consists of 6,211.7 unique web visits and 1219.2 app departure board visits (thousands)

Note 51

Unanswered calls figure has increased due to a massive surge in calls during March 2018 as a result of the "mini beast from the East"severe weather

Note 52

Total number of hits for 2018 will be understated due to a server logging issue

Note 53

The distance travelled is a calculation of the straight line between the postcode of place of residence and postcode of workplace.

Note 54

Includes no fixed place of work, working on an offshore installation and working outside the UK.

Note 55

Percentages for distance to place of work do not include those working mainly from home

Note 56

Excludes people who live in communal establishments - values for number of cars in a household were imputed where this was missing

Note 57

 Percentages based on a denominator of 50 respondents or fewer are not shown.

Note 58

Due to changes in the survey in response to covid-19, 2020 data is not directly comparable with previous years, so there is a break in the time series between 2019 and 2020

Note 59

This table was not updated for 2020 as the survey had been suspended.

Note 60

The estimates provided for 2021 should be treated with caution as the numbers are much smaller than pre-coronavirus pandemic years, especially the first six months of the year, resulting in some cases with larger confidence intervals. The data exclude Eurotunnel completely for 2021 and the Dover ferries until August 2021 as we were unable to interview at these sites.’

Note 61

Reimbursement is based on the fare that has been issued to the customer and every transaction is different. For example, we will reimburse 100% of the fare for some journeys, and on some routes we will also reimburse a proportion of the cabin for overnight or longer journeys. At the moment (before smart ferries is live) we have no way of distinguishing between chargeable and free journeys in this regard.