Only one in eight people in NI walks to or from work... and just 2% of us cycle

JUST one in eight people in Northern Ireland walks to or from work, according to a new survey.

The vast majority — some 87% — relied on the car or other forms of transport, the report found.

People aged between 16 and 24 (27%) were more likely to walk to or from work than any other age group, the Department for Infrastructure analysis for 201617 revealed.

The report found people from urban areas were more likely to walk to or from work than those from rural areas — 16 % in urban areas walked, compared to just 7% in rural locations.

Of those who walked to or from work, more than two-thirds (68%) travelled one mile or less on average.

More than a quarter (27%) walked two to three miles, while 4% walked four to five miles.

Just over half (52%) of respondents who said that they normally walked to or from work said they did so five days per week on average.

The figures also revealed that only 2% of people here cycled to or from work.

Of the respondents who cycled to or from work, more than twofifths (42%) cycled two to three miles, on average, in one direction.

More than a quarter (26%) cycled six miles or more, just under a fifth (19%) cycled one mile or less, and the remaining 13% cycled four to five miles in one direction.

Just under two-fifths (39%) of people who said that they normally cycled to or from work said they cycled five days per week on average. Sixteen per cent of people said they cycled three days per week, 19% cycled two days and 13% cycled one day.

Green Party councillor James Hunter urged councils to press ahead with building safe cycling infrastructure to encourage more people to abandon their vehicles.

He said: “We are seeing high levels of walking and cycling on innovative off-road routes such as the Connswater Community Greenway and this is the way we should be going if we are to encourage people out of their cars.”