In 2021, car usage was down on pre-COVID-19 levels. Of those who travelled by car daily or almost daily (at least five times weekly), less than nine in ten (87%) continued with similar frequency when surveyed in Quarter 4 2021.
One in eleven (9%) were now using a car less often (three to four times weekly), and 3% were only making trips by car once or twice weekly.
More people were spending less on their petrol/diesel in 2021 than they did prior to the pandemic. Nearly half of respondents (46%) said their motor fuel spend had changed between 2021 and 2019, and of these, over three quarters were spending €50 or less per week on petrol/diesel. The greatest proportion (30%) were spending just €20 or less per week on motor fuel, compared with 27% pre-COVID-19.
Car usage was impacted with more people now staying at home more often. In Quarter 4 2021, just 58% of respondents who were remote working, travelled by car daily or almost daily, compared with three quarters (75%) of respondents who were not working remotely pre-COVID-19.
Concerns regarding COVID-19 was one of a number of reasons given by respondents for not using public transport more frequently. COVID-19 concerns were cited by one in seven (14%) respondents who use bus services less than weekly and one in ten (10%) respondents who use rail services less than weekly.
Nearly four in ten (37%) persons who walk said they walk more now than they did prior to COVID-19, and nearly half of these were specifically for leisure/exercise purposes.
This publication is the fourth and last in a series of four publications presenting the results of the National Travel Survey (NTS), which was carried out in the fourth quarter of 2021. This publication focusses on how COVID-19 has impacted our travel behaviour.
The first publication in the series ‘Travel Behaviour Trends 2021’ which was published on 10 June 2022, reported on the travel behaviour of respondents, including when they are most likely to travel, preferred modes of transport and purpose of their trips, distance, and duration. The second publication in the series ‘Sustainable Mobility and Transport 2021’ was published on 01 July 2022 and reported on sustainable mobility such as walking and cycling as modes of travel, and sustainable transport including public transport and electric vehicles, and the facilitators and inhibitors to these modes of transport. The third publication ‘Passenger Mobility and Road Safety 2021’ was published on 08 July 2022, and focussed on road safety and passenger mobility.
In Quarter 4 2021, despite the easing of restrictions elsewhere in the economy and society, restrictions on public transport (requirement to wear face coverings and appropriate seat spacing) remained in place until early 2022. Combined with more working from home during the pandemic, the impact of these restrictions can perhaps be seen in the use of public transport when comparing travel behaviour data for 2021 with the same period in 2019.
Of those who used rail/bus services infrequently, one in seven (14%) respondents said that they had concerns regarding COVID-19, as did one in ten (10%) respondents who use rail services less than weekly. See Table 1.1.
Table 1.1 previously displayed incorrect data for 'weekly or more than weekly' bus users which arose from human error. Updated on 19/07/2022.
For the most part, more car users were spending less on motor fuel (petrol/diesel) in 2021, compared with pre-COVID-19 fuel spend. Nearly half of respondents (46%) said that their motor fuel spend had changed since prior to COVID-19. Of these, over three quarters were spending €50 or less per week on petrol/diesel. The greatest proportion (30%) were spending just €20 or less per week on motor fuel, compared with 27% pre-COVID-19. Just over one in five (22%) were spending slightly more, between €21 and €35 on motor fuel, down from 26% pre-COVID-19, while fuel spend in the €36 to €50 bracket dropped from nearly three in ten (28%) respondents pre-COVID-19, to less than one quarter (24%) in Quarter 4 2021. See Table 1.3.
With more people remote working for part or all of their working week in Quarter 4 2021, car usage was impacted with more people now staying at home more often. In Quarter 4 2021, just 58% of respondents who were remote working, travelled by car daily or almost daily, compared with three quarters (75%) of respondents who were not working remotely pre-COVID-19. See Table 1.4 and Figure 1.1.
| At least 5 times a week | 3 to 4 times a week | 1 to 2 times a week | Less than weekly but more than once a month | Less than monthly | |
| Remote working (Q4 2021) | 57.8 | 19.7 | 13.9 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| Not remote working pre-COVID-19 | 74.5 | 11.3 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
For persons who were laid off or temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their frequency of car usage also decreased. Of persons laid off or temporarily laid off due to COVID-19, almost half (49%) had travelled by car daily or almost daily (at least five times weekly) pre-COVID-19, compared with just over four in ten (42%) making a journey by car at least five times weekly in Quarter 4 2021. One in eleven (9%) persons who had been laid off or temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 journeyed by car just once or twice weekly in Quarter 4 2021, compared with just 5% pre-COVID-19. See Tables 1.5 and 1.6.
Respondents who walked/cycled were asked if they walked/cycled more than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. One third (33%) of cyclists said that they cycle more now than they did prior to COVID-19, and nearly six in ten (57%) were for the purposes of leisure/exercise. Nearly four in ten (37%) walkers said that they walk more now than prior to COVID-19, and nearly half of these were specifically for leisure/exercise purposes. See Tables 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, Figures 1.2 and 1.3.
Of those who were walking more frequently, six in ten walks daily or almost daily (at least five times weekly), while one quarter walk three to four times weekly. However, less than one in eight (13%) cyclists who are cycling more than pre-COVID-19, cycle at least five times weekly while almost one in five (19%) cycle three to four times weekly. Less than three in ten (28%) go out cycling once or twice weekly. See Tables 1.7, 1.9, Figures 1.2 and 1.3.
| At least 5 times a week | 3 to 4 times a week | 1 to 2 times a week | Less than weekly but more than once a month | Less than monthly | |
| All exercise/leisure | 39 | 58 | 60 | 89 | 22 |
| Mostly exercise/leisure | 14 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 29 |
| Both exercise/leisure and going to specific destination | 25 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 42 |
| Mostly for purpose of going to specific destination | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| All for purpose of going to specific destination | 12 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| At least 5 times a week | 3 to 4 times a week | 1 to 2 times a week | Less than weekly but more than once a month | Less than monthly | |
| All exercise/leisure | 23 | 37 | 74 | 46 | 83 |
| Mostly exercise/leisure | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| Both exercise/leisure and going to specific destination | 4 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 4 |
| Mostly for purpose of going to specific destination | 18 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| All for purpose of going to specific destination | 45 | 22 | 9 | 24 | 7 |
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Statistician's Comment
Maureen Delamere, Statistician in the Social Analysis and Modules Division, commented: “When this survey was carried out in Quarter 4 2021, we were more than one and half years into the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is interesting to look at how this pandemic has changed our lives and, in particular, how it has impacted our travel behaviour.
More remote working has likely impacted on our car usage. With more people remote working for part or all of their working week in Quarter 4 2021, car usage was impacted with more people now staying at home more often. In Quarter 4 2021, just 58% of respondents who were remote working, travelled by car daily or almost daily, compared with three quarters (75%) of respondents who were not working remotely pre-COVID-19.
We are also becoming more active since COVID-19. Respondents were asked how often they walk/cycle. Of those who walk or cycle at least monthly, they were asked if they walk or cycle more than they did before the pandemic. Nearly four in ten (37%) said that they walk more now than they did prior to the arrival of COVID-19, while one third (33%) said they cycle more now than they did before the pandemic. Leisure/exercise purposes was the main reason for almost six in ten (57%) cycling journeys and nearly half (47%) of journeys by foot.
COVID-19 related restrictions remained in place on public transport until early 2022. Concerns regarding COVID-19 was one of a number of reasons given by repondents for not using public transport more frequently. COVID-19 concerns were cited by one in seven (14%) respondents who use bus services less than weekly and one in ten (10%) respondents who use rail services less than weekly.”
Maureen Delamere further commented: “It is important to note, however, that this is a snapshot in time, as to how COVID-19 had affected our lives and in particular, our travel behaviour in 2021. Future CSO National Travel Surveys will strive to provide insight in to how many of the pandemic-related changes in travel behaviour are sustained.”