Background
Since the 1960s the basic treatment of travel-time in new transport schemes has remained the same: travel-time is unproductive, wasted time. Savings in travel-time typically constitute the majority of the benefit derived from a scheme. This research challenges this convention, starting with the assumption that travel-time is used productively.
The car is often seen as the preferred means of travel because it is quicker and more convenient than public transport. This research may reveal that public transport does not necessarily need to compete in terms of journey time, if they can compete in terms of the 'better' use of people's travel-time.
The level of mobility in many societies has grown dramatically. Personal travel across modes in the UK, when measured in billion passenger kilometres, increased from 218 in 1952, to 728 in 1999, with an increase in the last decade alone of some 7% [1]. Between 1972 and 2000 the average annual distance travelled per person in the UK increased by 53%. Over the same period the average number of trips increased by only 8% and the time spent making these trips increased by only 2% [2].
However, the average time spent travelling appears remarkably stable at around a little over one hour per person per day. Increases in journey speed (achieved by changing modes or because of improvements to the transport system) are responsible for enabling people to travel further - increasing their spatial range of access to people, goods, services and opportunities.
Most of the increase in mobility has arisen through substantial increases in car use. In 2001, in terms of total domestic distance travelled, car travel accounted for 85% of the total compared with 6 per cent for rail and 1 per cent for air. However, in terms of the increase in travel by each of these modes over the period 1991-2001, whilst car travel grew by 7%, rail travel increased by 21% and air travel by 60% [3].
This would suggest that, particularly as congestion on the road network worsens, the trend in 'further and faster' travel will be bolstered by increased use, particularly for longer distance travel, of the (sometimes) faster modes of rail and air. One half of UK citizens now report taking an air flight in any year [4].
The information age appears to be supporting such a life on the move. The proportion of households with at least one mobile phone has almost tripled from 17 per cent in 1996-97 to 47 per cent in 2000-2001 [5]. Ownership of laptop and palmtop computers (and games consoles) has also increased in parallel with their increasing capabilities and affordability (and increasing wireless connectivity).
While not true of all travellers, it seems many people are accompanied by mobile technologies when on the move. These allow communications between people irrespective of spatial separation and allow a working or entertainment environment to be created during a journey, or even for arrangements only to be finalised while actually on the journey. People are moving and communicating rather than doing one or the other [6]. Indeed new railway rolling stock provides power points in standard class for the use of laptop computers and mobile phones.
References
[1] DETR (2001). Transport Trends: 2001 Edition. Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, March, TSO, London.
[2] DTLR (2001). Focus on Personal Travel: 2001 Edition. Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, December, TSO, London.
[3] DfT (2002). Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2002 Edition. Department for Transport, October, TSO, London.
[4] Lethbridge, N. (2002) Attitudes to Air Travel. London: ONS.
[5] ONS (2002). Ownership of mobile phones: by income quintile group, 1996-97 and 2000-01. Social Trends 32. Office for National Statistics.
[6] See Brown, B., Green, N., Harper, R. (eds) (2002). Wireless World. London: Springer, for social science research on mobile phone use that reveals the complex ways this takes place.
