Friday, 29 March 2024
EnvironmentNewsPolitics

43% of youth considering transport change due to cost of living crisis

Research produced by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK has shown that a large portion of young people are strongly considering changing their transport habits in the face of challenges to finances and environmental factors.

Karim told CI.N that in FY2021 he used the E-Cargo for 27% of all local trips (196 trips across ~500 miles) with an annual fuel bill of just £1.51

Cycling UK has said that employers have a role to play in the matter and should be doing more to assist cash strapped staff with active travel options. 43% of 18 to 24 year-olds (the UK’s lowest paid at average mean earnings of £12,275) are now strongly considering their transport options. Cycling UK says that those who do cater for those who cycle to work with facilities such as secure parking are more likely to be seen as offering perks and thus have better staff retention.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK’s chief executive, says: “People should be considering cycling as a cost-effective way to commute shorter journeys. The upfront investment, even with eBikes, soon pays for itself when you consider how much you are saving at the petrol pump.

“However, there are still lingering perceived barriers to cycling, and employers can play a key role in making it a realistic and practical option for their staff. It’s a win-win solution; companies can attract the best young talent while enjoying better staff retention and productivity. At the same time, it eases the financial burden on workers, who no longer need to pay to go to the gym yet will feel happier and healthier.”

Diving deeper into the research, 81% of respondents believed their transport costs were only set to rise in the next six months. With the average car’s fuel tank set to cost north of £100 and per litre petrol prices predicted to edge closer to £2, some workers are being forced to consider their jobs if employers are unable to be flexible.

Speaking specifically to respondents that did not yet cycle to work, 37% of young people said they would be more likely to use a bike to reach their places of work if employers delivered on bike storage, lockers and other facilities to make the journey and arrival more comfortable. 36% said that if employers offered a financial incentive to switch, thus saving a car parking space, they would buy a bike. Specifically on this point, if a Cycle to Work scheme existed at their employer 29% would participate.

Cycling UK has a benchmark for employers to hit in its Cycle Friendly Employer accreditation. For more detail on how to meet the criteria, see here.

On the subject of fuel, separate research recently found that the subsidies handed out in the form of reduced taxation could have instead paid for as many as 5.3 billion free bike sharing trips, among other things.