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Commute times creeping up

The amount of time travelling to and from work is rising, despite falling during the recession, research has found. Experts at the TUC found five extra minutes had been added to the daily commute time, compared to 10-years-ago.

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Employers urged to use Skype to reduce commute

Fresh calls were issued for businesses to use broadband technologies as it would help cut the commute time, according to a union chief.

General secretary of the TUC Frances O'Grady said encouraging more people to work from home would take pressure of the public transport system, thus reducing the length of the daily commute.

Long commutes are not always practical for those doing the nursery and school run, which is why mums tend to work closer to home.

This move often involves them taking a huge pay cut too.Cutting the commute needn't mean cutting pay too.

New technologies such as super-fast broadband and Skype should mean more workers are able to change the way they work, or work from home occasionally.

This could reduce at least some of their costly and miserable rush-hour journeys.

– TUC General secretary Frances O'Grady

Poll: Commuting times rose by five minutes since 2003

Bad news for commuters - the amount of time spent travelling to work is starting to creep up, despite falling during the recession, a new study has found.

Commuting times have crept up by five minutes over the last 10 years, according to the TUC. Credit: PA

Research by the TUC found the averaged daily commute is almost five minutes longer than it was a decade ago, now at 54.6 minutes.

The union said people are spending an extra 4.5 days a year just getting to and from work.

Commute times differed for men and women - men in their early 40s spend longest getting around, clocking up an average of 67 minutes travelling every day.

Women commute most in their late 20s, spending on average 54 minutes going to and from work, but this falls as they get older, the report said.

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