London’s high ticket prices deters greater uptake of public transport

High ticket prices deter one in three Londoners from traveling by public transport, but commuters in the capital are still more likely to travel to work by bus or train than counterparts around the world, according to a newly published global survey of travel trends.

Hitachi Rail, the train and smart mobility company, commissioned pollsters at Savanta ComRes to gauge attitudes to public transport in cities around the world.

Residents in eight cities including London, Paris and Washington DC were asked about their commutes. Commuters in most cities drive to work but only 38% of Londoners reported commuting by car and 27% of residents said they never drove in the city.

Almost half of all Londoners say that they use the capital’s buses to commute, the highest percentage of bus use in any city surveyed, whilst 35% travel by train and 20% by Tube services.

However more than 1 in 3 (37%) Londoners cited the cost of public transport as a factor which discourages them from using it. Over half (54%) of Londoners surveyed even said they would be likely to support increased road charges in order to fund a better-connected public transport system.

The data came alongside a new report from Hitachi Rail which looks at how their smart mobility technology could revolutionise transport in cities around the world. Its Lumada Mobility Suite has already been deployed in the Italian cities of Genoa and Trentino – bringing features like real time information on crowding and hands-free smart ticketing connecting different systems including train, bus, Tube, e-bikes and car parks.

The majority of Londoners said that they would be more likely to use a better-connected public transport system.

Ludmil Neykov, Chief Digital Officer at Hitachi Rail, said, “Mass adoption of public transport for journeys currently made by car is vital if the world’s global cities are to meet sustainability targets and improve air quality.

“Smart mobility technology holds the key to innovations which can help provide a cheaper and better-connected public transport system.”