Home working to remain permanent as public transport returns to peak levels

Travel by car and by public transport in West Yorkshire is returning to pre-pandemic levels, people’s confidence in using public transport has been maintained, and the shift to hybrid working caused by Covid-19 is likely to become permanent.

Those are some of the findings of the latest Covid-19 Transport Recovery Survey by West Yorkshire Combined Authority which looks at the impact of the pandemic on travel in the region.

The research was conducted between September 28 and October 13 with the results now available for publication.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “This survey gives us a great insight into how people in West Yorkshire are travelling, as we emerge from the pandemic. The results reveal some encouraging signs of recovery in terms of public transport use.

“They also show that, contrary to recent claims by the Government in their Integrated Rail Plan, the numbers of people using public transport do mean that it’s vital we deliver a system with adequate capacity to cope with future demand."

Figures released as part of the survey show that on average, workers in West Yorkshire currently commute 3.1 days a week, 28 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels (4.4 days a week).

For Mayor Brabin despite the disappointing scrapping of the Leeds HS2 line she is hopeful that more can be encouraged onto public transport with plans still in place to finally deliver the city a mass transit tram system.“It's vital that we encourage even more people back onto buses and trains; and to cycle and walk more, to reduce emissions from transport and deliver our pledges to tackle the climate emergency and protect our environment," she said “We have also set out long-term plans for investment in our Connectivity Infrastructure Plan programme. This aims to deliver public transport improvements where they are most needed to enhance people’s quality of life. It is built on detailed evidence and includes our bold and ambitious plan for a new mass transit system for West Yorkshire.”

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