National statistics
TSGB 2011: Modal comparisons
This chapter presents statistics on comparisons between transport modes and expenditure and costs of transport.
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Details
This chapter of Transport Statistics Great Britain (TSGB) presents statistics on comparisons between transport modes and expenditure and costs of transport.
Key points
- Over the long term there has been an increase in the distance travelled by all modes driven mainly by an increase in the distance travelled by road, and in particular by cars, vans and taxis, although there was a fall in 2010
- In addition, the proportion of travel by cars, vans and taxis rose from just over a quarter from 1952 to a peak of nearly 90% in the early 1990s and has remained almost at those levels since then
- Total public spending on transport in the United Kingdom, including capital spending by public corporations, in 2010 to 2011 was £22.9 billion
- Of this about one third was on railways, including tubes, and about a quarter on local roads. This rises to 41% when expenditure on both national and local roads is included
- The overall cost of motoring (including purchase, petrol, oil, tax and insurance) has only risen slowly, although there was a larger increase in 2010, and more slowly than the increase in the cost of living as measured by the all items Retail Prices Index (RPI) - however when the purchase of vehicle is removed, motoring running costs have risen faster than the RPI
Technical information
Full guidance on the methods used to compile these statistics and their sources can be found on the TSGB guidance page.
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Published 15 December 2011