Last week (June 28), the Sydney Morning Herald reported that despite increasing car ownership levels in Sydney, public transportation use was on the rise.
The NSW Government’s annual household travel survey found that rail travel was up 3 per cent and bus travel up 2.5 per cent in 2008-09. Car trips fell by almost 1 per cent. This is despite 31 per cent of survey respondents believing transport in their local area would get worse over the next year, up from 27 per cent in March.
Tellingly, the survey also reveals that most respondents who use their cars do so mainly because of problems with public transport. And whilst car ownership is up, usage is down, indicating that people are being more selective about when they use their vehicle. It is the fourth year in a row that car use has fallen, and could affect Government campaigns to extend the motorway network.
For more information, view a summary of the annual household travel survey here, and the full PDF repot here.