During lockdown, many Brits became frustrated with the sight of their own four walls. The concept of working from home was a refreshing novelty at first but we soon learned that there was a reason why more of us need to get out of the house every day. Cabin fever soon set in and we realised not only how much we missed going to work but how much we even missed the commute!
A Devitt Insurance survey of 2,500 UK commuters found that whilst a third of commuters found their journey to work stressful prior to lockdown and only 37% actively enjoyed their commute, after lockdown, 46% admitted to enjoying their commute. Does this mean that spending weeks and months locked away has made us appreciate our commutes?
Commutes by age, gender and region
Whilst generally speaking the UK saw an increase in computer enthusiasm after lockdown, it’s the South West of England that saw the happiest post-lockdown commuters, with 42% enjoying it. Wales, however, had the unhappiest commuters pre lockdown, with 22% not enjoying it.
By gender, Devitt found that 69% of males and 55% of females didn’t feel any stress on their commutes post-lockdown, underlining a little disparity between the genders. When it came to the mode of transport, however, more far more females than males (16% to 2%) said they intended on walking to work post-lockdown.
By age, meanwhile, it’s those aged 50 and over that plan to change their modes of transport post-lockdown, with 187 of the respondents aged 50-59 stating they were going to look for alternate modes of transport. Interestingly, this is also the age bracket that travelled most commonly by car in the pre-lockdown world.
Switching to two wheels
Perhaps the most overwhelming response post-lockdown has been the uptake in two-wheeled commuters, with 75% of those Brits switching from public transport taking to two wheels and choosing a motorbike for their daily travels to and from work.
Could this be because they miss the open air that much? Or have they seen the legions of cars stacked like sardines on the motorway every morning and realised that taking a bike is a faster and more elegant solution? Either way, it’s fascinating information that proves lockdown has had a significant impact on how commuters perceive the working world and that many missed their daily commutes but didn’t necessarily miss the way it used to be.
The post-lockdown commute
With a third of Brits spending between £100 and £200 on their commute every month, the one thing we all won’t be missing about the commute is the cost. However, the figures seem to reveal a positive shift towards commuters choosing less conventional modes of transport, including their own two feet! Hopefully, this upwards trend continues in the post-COVID world.
