Commuting

BRITAIN’S 30million commuters will spend more time travelling to and from work than on journeys for leisure purposes this year. The news comes as commuters face higher rail fares coupled with the prospect of spending on average, nearly 200 hours travelling to and from work in 2016. 

In a recent YouGov study commissioned by Halfords, the UK’s leading retailer for cycling and motoring, it was found that the average time spent commuting each week was a whopping three hours and forty two minutes, whereas time spent on journeys for leisure was just over two hours a week. 

In London the average is even higher - a shocking twenty four percent of Londoners spend between five and ten hours toing and froing to the office each week. 

It is evident that the drain of commuting may result in lost opportunities for leisure journeys, as only nineteen percent of respondents will spend the same amount of time on journeys for socialising, quality time with partners and families, pursuing hobbies and mealtimes.

The study also unveils that a third of Brits say that their most memorable car journey is when they have gone on holiday and one in ten cited driving home from hospital after their child was born as their unforgettable journey.

However, travelling to work remains a square focus as a third say the most important journey they will make on a regular basis is their commute to work. A majority of respondents felt journeys would be considerably more enjoyable if they were made more convenient, particularly if there was less congestion and fewer delays. In addition, nearly 70% of Brits felt that either travelling with a friend or more scenic views would help up the enjoyment factor, whereas a third say that Wi-Fi access and taking more journeys by bike would liven up their journey to work.

Paul Tomlinson, Halfords’ motoring expert says; “Although rail fares have increased, our research shows time is the most costly commodity. With so many of us spending longer and longer on travelling to work whether it is by public transport, by bike or car, it comes as no surprise that commuters are looking to make the most of their journey to work, whether it’s through Wi-Fi access to use tech devices or even taking some or part of their journeys by bike, all in order to make sure the time spent on their commute works harder."