Transport is increasingly seen as a ‘service’ by younger generations rather than as something that requires vehicle ownership, latest evidence from the Independent Transport Commission suggests.

The Commission has this week launched a new report ‘Recent trends in road and rail travel’ after studying English data from 1995 to 2014. It found that although the country’s aggregate traffic level is rising, individual car driving mileage per adult has declined significantly over the study period.

More specifically, it shows that miles driven per year have been falling significantly among men under 60 over the last 20 years, and for those aged 17-34 this drop has been particularly steep at 47%.

Miles driven annually by women in this younger age bracket have fallen by 15% over the study period. The only group to see a significant increase in miles driven is women older than 60.

“An inter-generational divide in travel behaviour is growing,” commented Independent Transport Commission director Dr Matthew Niblett. “For young adults, cars are increasingly viewed as utilitarian appliances, rather than aspirational goods.”

The report also reveals that rail ridership is increasing across all age groups in spite of the fact that rail ticket costs have been rising above inflation.

It says: “The rise of non car travel suggests that opportunities exist for intermodal pricing and payment strategies that could benefit passengers and encourage public transport use further afield.”

The report also identified growing differences in travel patterns between rural and urban areas, with per capita car use having fallen most sharply in London. The greatest rise in the use of other transport modes has also been recorded in the capital.

The Commission believes that further research is needed into the causes of these changing travel trends. In the coming weeks it will be discussing the contents of its new report with the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Transport for the North.

(Photo courtesy of Jim Champion and licenced for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)