12 Jul 2023
London earned 42% of votes in a recent survey of UK commuters, followed by Birmingham (19.3%) and Manchester (6.8%).
Here are the top ten commuting cities in the UK. 👇
One of the secrets to London’s success is having a reliable and convenient public transport service.
When commuting by public transport in London, you can arrive at your platform or bus stop early in the morning or late at night, confident that your service will come soon after. And there’s often no need to look up departure times in advance.
Since introducing ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ), the number of cars on the roads has dropped, which could be encouraging more people to walk and cycle since both proved popular commuting methods in London.
Offering a range of reliable transport methods to commuters is the key to getting people to arrive at work happy and ready for the day.
Reliable public transport and safe active travel options give commuters in London several choices over how they wish to travel each day. And a large number of workers in London take advantage of this variety by changing their method of commuting from day to day (46.1% of commuters in London travel to work in different ways).
Like London, Birmingham and Manchester, ranked second and third respectively, also offer commuters a reliable range of alternatives to driving.
There’s the West Midlands Metro in Birmingham, while Manchester has the most extensive light rail system in the United Kingdom (covering 64 miles). Both also have extensive bus networks — and this survey coincided with many operators capping a single ticket’s cost at £2.
People see the benefits when public transport offers a reliable, convenient, and affordable alternative to driving.
Choosing from a range of reliable and safe transport options allows commuters to mix up their commuting method as and when they please.
35.9% of commuters add variety to their daily commute by travelling in different ways — they’ll cycle one day and use public transport the next, for example.
But based on their primary way of getting to work, the chances of using other means of transport change significantly:
Of the drivers who said they use other forms of transport, the majority said this is only because of road works or closed roads.
The majority of commuters in the UK spend over an hour travelling to and from their workplace.
Those with the shortest commute don’t drive — they walk, cycle, take public transport, or jump in a Bolt. Meanwhile, most drivers spend between 31 minutes to an hour commuting.
Cyclists often face the most dangerous commute as many cities lack safe cycling infrastructure, forcing people on bikes to ride alongside cars. Despite this, all cyclists said they were satisfied with their commute and had a short commute time of under 30 minutes.
Public transport plays a significant role in helping to reduce congestion and pollution in our cities. Yet, 59% of those frustrated with their commute rely on public transport (bus, train, or light rail services) — showing that public transport improvements can’t come soon enough.
The next highest group of dissatisfied commuters were those who drive to work in a private car (17.6%). Reasons include:
All of these disaffected drivers also commute for over one hour each day.
Fortunately, this survey found that most people are content with their commute as long as:
But travel disruption can hit the UK anytime in the form of congestion, road works, or rail strikes — so it’s all about finding reliability amongst the disruption.
Create a Work Profile in your Bolt app today to add reliability, convenience, and comfort to your commute. You can get a ride in minutes, charge trips to a company card, and automate your expense reports.
