New Zealand workers opt for motor vehicles despite a wide choice of public transport

A new international workplace survey has found New Zealand’s use of public transport for travel to work was low by international standards, ranking 22 out of 28 countries.

The survey found that workers in New Zealand are amongst the biggest users of private motor vehicles to travel to work, with many choosing the car in preference to public transport.

The survey by global recruitment agency, Kelly Services, found that 44% of New Zealand workers prefer to use a motor vehicle to travel to and from work while 56% use public transport.

The relatively low usage of public transport is something of a surprise given that New Zealand had a high level of access to public transport. 72% of the respondents had the choice of public transport to commute to work.

Women and younger workers were much more likely to use public transport.

When asked what single factor would encourage greater use of public transport, 27% cited ‘more convenient access’, a further 27% stated ‘more frequent services’ and 25% identified ‘lower prices’. Other concerns such as improved comfort and improved safety/security ranked relatively low.

The Kelly Services Global Workforce Index sought the views of approximately 70,000 people in 28 countries including more than 1,000 in New Zealand.

Globally, the biggest users of public transport were in Asia. Indonesia topped the list with 93%, followed by Hong Kong (88%) and Singapore (86%).

The lowest users were Turkey (29%), the United States (34%) and Puerto Rico (36%).

“Public transport is important in enabling some people to find work and stay employed,” said Wendy Hewson, Service Operations Manager, Kelly Services.

“Where private transport is not available, public transport is often the only option.

“Access to reliable, safe and cost-effective public transport has a bearing on the way people feel about their jobs, daily stress levels and on their capacity to meet family responsibilities.”

In New Zealand, younger workers were the most concerned with the price of public transport while older workers were more interested in frequency of services.

Industry sectors that recorded relatively high usage of public transport included financial services, government and IT.

“The provision of public transport also makes an important contribution to economic growth because it allows people to respond to fluctuating economic conditions and employment trends.

“In a dynamic employment market, many people will want to take advantage of opportunities in particular geographic areas as well as respond to the need for part time, casual work or shift work.

“The availability of a good public transport system makes it much easier to respond quickly to changing job requirements and for employers to get staff where and when they are needed.

“Many people are perfectly happy to use public transport rather than drive a private motor vehicle but if the system is inaccessible or too costly, they are left with little choice,” Ms Hewson said.

Issues associated with motor vehicle use include congested roads and environmental concerns including, noise, air pollution and greenhouse emissions. Motor vehicles are the major source of the most common air pollutants in many urban areas. They also inhibit pedestrian movement in major cities and contribute to gridlock in commercial centres.

ENDS

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