Information which will prove vital in delivering the Government’s Transport Plan has just been published by the DETR. The latest National Travel Survey (NTS) update details the travel habits of residents in Great Britain, and shows how these vary according to factors such as age, gender, car ownership and where people live. The main findings include:-On average, Great Britain residents now travel 6,806 miles a year, an increase of 28% since 1985/86, mainly due to the increasing length of journeys.

-We spend a total of just over two weeks each year (about one hour per day) travelling around Great Britain. Approximately nine days (61%) of this time is in the car, and three days walking.

– 27% of journeys are under 1 mile, 80% of which are on foot. The car is the dominant mode of transport for all journeys over 1 mile.

– Car travel accounts for four fifths of all our travelling. Overall, the distances travelled by car has increased by 41% since the mid-1980s.

-Leisure accounts for almost a third of journeys. One in five trips are to the shops, and one in six to and from work.

-Since the mid-1980s, the proportion of primary-aged children walking to school has declined from 67 to 53%, with an increase from 22 to 38% in the numbers being driven to school.

-The percentage of rural households with good access to a bus service (living within 13 minutes walk of a bus stop with a service of at least once an hour) has risen from 35% in 1985/86 to 42% in 1997/99.

The National Travel Survey:1997/99 Update is the latest in a series of household surveys designed to provide a databank of personal travel information for Great Britain. It is available at www.transtat.detr.gov.uk/personal/index.htm