Commute times rising for East Midlands workers
Getting to work in the East Midlands now take nearly four-and-a-half minutes a day longer than it did a decade ago, according to a new study from the TUC.
The average commute for the East Midlands worker now stands at 53 minutes according to the report, which has been undertaken to mark the annual Commute Smart Week organised by Work Wise UK.
Nationally, Rail commuters face the longest journeys, taking an average of 2 hours and 11 minutes every day – an increase of 4 minutes on the last decade.
Drivers spend 52 minutes on the road to work and back (up by 3 minutes), while bus commuters must set aside 79 minutes a day (up by 7 minutes).
Cyclists (44 minutes) and walkers (29 minutes) have the quickest daily journeys.
Commute lengths (both ways) in minutes by region where worker lives:
|
2007 |
2017 |
Change 2007-2017 |
|
| North East |
45.2 |
51.0 |
+6.0 |
| North West |
48.8 |
53.0 |
+3.6 |
| Yorks and Humberside |
49 |
52.6 |
+3.0 |
| East Midlands |
46.4 |
53.0 |
+4.4 |
| West Midlands |
48.2 |
52.4 |
+2.8 |
| East of England |
54.6 |
62.0 |
+5.8 |
| London |
76.8 |
80.8 |
+4.0 |
| South East |
57.4 |
62.0 |
+4.6 |
| South West |
45.4 |
51.6 |
+6.2 |
| Wales |
44.8 |
53.2 |
+8.4 |
| Scotland |
49.8 |
52.2 |
+2.4 |
| Northern Ireland |
46.2 |
46.0 |
-0.2 |
| England |
54.7 |
59.8 |
+5.1 |
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s great we’re investing in high speed rail between some of our major cities. But people more often use their local buses and trains on their daily commute. These need to be upgraded too.
“Privatisation of trains and buses is a big failure. Journeys are too expensive, too slow and too unreliable. We should bring services back into public ownership. And cuts to public funding for bus routes should be reversed.
“Employers can make a difference too. Home working and flexitime can cut journeys and help avoid the rush hour. And if staff have fewer stressful journeys, they can focus better on their work.”
Work Wise UK chief executive Phil Flaxton said: “Long commutes have become a part of the UK’s working culture. But the excessive time spent commuting is one of the main factors contributing to work-life balance problems.
“Not only is the time spent commuting an issue, the 9-to-5 culture with its peak travel times generates congestion. And the rush-hours on railways, underground and road networks increase stress for commuters.
“The overall message for employers is that job satisfaction can be improved, and stress levels reduced if workers have opportunities to cut their commuting time. That could mean working from home occasionally or staggering their hours. It could also be good news for employee wellbeing and retention, with lower costs to businesses.”
