Two hour daily commutes rise by almost 10% in the South West

The number of people in the West Country with daily commutes of at least two hours has gone up by almost 10% over the last five years.

The research, by the South West Trade Unions Congress, show more than 60% of these commuters are men, but the number of women commuting long distances is continuing to rapidly increase.

Solicitor Nick Seymour who travels from Exeter to Bristol four days a week and from Exeter to Cardiff one day a week.

It's thought the growth in long commutes in sectors like education, and health and social care - where high numbers of women work - may explain the rise.

The biggest groups of workers commuting for two hours or more are:

  • Health and social workers

  • Public administration and defence workers

  • Retail and wholesale workers

Workers travelling to work by motorcycle have seen their daily commute increase the most, followed by taxi-users, cyclists, motorists and rail commuters.

On the otherside, commute times for those using buses have fallen.

The South West TUC believes the increase in travelling times may be explained by:

  • stagnant wages combined with soaring rents and high house prices leaving many workers unable to move to areas closer to their jobs.

  • the lack of investment in roads and railways increasing journey times.