The National Travel Survey (NTS) is a household survey on the travel behaviour of respondents. It was carried out using the General Household Survey (GHS) in the fourth quarter (October – December) of 2019.
A similar survey was carried out in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, when it was included as a module of the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS).
The NTS results will be used to compile statistical indicators for journey purpose and modes of travel, which will help monitor the implementation of existing transport policy and will inform future transport initiatives. This report presents the results for 2019 with comparative analysis for 2014 and 2016.
The NTS was conducted by computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). All participants were aged 18 years and over. The questionnaire was designed by the Central Statistics Office in consultation with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTS), the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
It is internationally accepted that the most comprehensive method to collect data on travel behaviour is to have respondents complete a seven-day travel diary. However, to reduce respondent burden and increase response rates, many countries have adopted an alternative method of collecting data for a 24-hour period. To ensure that data was collected for all seven days of the week, each person participating in the NTS was assigned a selected ‘travel reference day’. The travel reference day was a maximum of three days prior to the day on which the interview was conducted to ensure that recall was not compromised.
Only travel within the island of Ireland, made by residents of the State, was included in the survey. While the NTS collected information on work-related travel for most occupations, it excluded the business-related travel of professional drivers (e.g. bus and taxi drivers) and other occupations where travel is integral to the role (e.g. postal delivery workers). It is important to note, when interpreting the figures and comparing them to other data sources, that the NTS journey purpose of 'work' includes both commuter and business travel.
The NTS survey data is collected directly from individuals in private households aged 18 years and over. Data on travel behaviour is collected from just one person per household. Institutional households, (e.g. nursing homes, barracks, boarding schools, hotels, etc.) are not covered by the survey.
As all estimates from sample surveys are subject to a margin of error, the 2016 Census of Population travel to work, school and college dataset (Place Of Work, School or College Census of Anonymised Records - POWSCAR) should be used as the definitive source of data on travel to work, school and college. It is also worth noting that the results contained in this publication are based on travel patterns for a particular quarter, which may not be fully representative of the year as a whole. Therefore, particular care should be taken when interpreting the results, especially if extrapolating them to annualised results. For further guidelines on using the NTS data, please refer to the Background Notes.
Over seven out of ten people (72.6%) made a journey on the travel reference day in 2019. This represents a slight increase of just over one percentage point on 2016. See Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1.
Note that the travel reference day refers to the day for which the respondent provides data on their travel pattern. To ensure that data is collected for all seven days of the week, each person participating in the NTS is assigned a selected ‘travel reference day’. The travel reference day is a maximum of three days prior to the day on which the interview is conducted to ensure that recall is not compromised.
| Travelled | Did not travel | |
| 2014 | 70 | 30 |
| 2016 | 71.3 | 28.7 |
| 2019 | 72.6 | 27.4 |
Nearly four fifths (78.0%) of persons living in the South-East region took a trip on the travel reference day while over three quarters (76.5%) of Dubliners made a journey. See Table 1.2 and Map 1.1.
In 2019, of persons who took a trip on the travel reference day assigned to them, the average number of journeys taken on the travel reference day was 3.0. Weekdays were the busiest days, with the average number of journeys carried out on weekdays (Monday to Friday) being slightly higher than the average number of journeys taken at weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Tuesday and Wednesday were the busiest days, with an average of 3.3 journeys taken on those days. See Table 1.3.
At an overall level, across all travel reference days, females in the 45 to 54 years age group had the highest average number of journeys on their travel reference day (3.8). Males aged 18 to 24 years had the lowest average number of journeys (2.7). The average number of journeys taken by persons aged 75 years and over was 2.8. See Table 1.4 and Figure 1.2.
| Male | Female | |
| 18-24 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| 25-34 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
| 35-44 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
| 45-54 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
| 55-64 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| 65-74 | 2.8 | 3 |
| 75+ | 2.8 | 2.8 |
Of all journeys taken by respondents to this survey, nearly one quarter (24.6%) were taken on Tuesday, while one in five were taken on Monday and Wednesday, 20.3% and 20.1% respectively. Only 5.8% of all journeys took place on Saturday and 6.7% on Sunday. See Table 1.5 and Figure 1.3.
| Percentage of journeys taken | |
| Monday | 20.3 |
| Tuesday | 24.6 |
| Wednesday | 20.1 |
| Thursday | 11 |
| Friday | 11.6 |
| Saturday | 5.8 |
| Sunday | 6.7 |
The average journey distance in 2019 was 13.7 kilometres and on average, took 23.3 minutes to complete. Average journey distance for persons living in Dublin has continued to get shorter. While average journey distance for Dubliners has decreased to 9.5 kilometres (9.8 kilometres in 2016), average journey duration has remained at 24.8 minutes. See Table 1.6.
Analysis of journeys taken by group size shows that the majority of journeys taken were one-person journeys (63.5%), while 17.2% were two-person journeys and 10.8% of all journeys taken were three-person journeys. Just 3.5% of journeys involved 5 or more persons. See Table 1.7 and Figure 1.4.
| 1 person | 2 person | 3 person | 4 person | 5+ person | |
| 2014 | 62.9 | 22.5 | 7.9 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| 2016 | 64.4 | 21.5 | 7.8 | 4.5 | 1.8 |
| 2019 | 63.5 | 17.2 | 10.8 | 4.9 | 3.5 |
One in five (19.5%) of persons aged 18 years and over use bus services frequently, with one in sixteen (6.3%) taking the bus at least 5 times a week. Use of rail services (including mainline rail, DART and Luas) is less frequent, with just 7.2% using rail services a number of times a week. Just 2.2% of respondents travelled by rail at least 5 times a week. See Table 1.8.
Respondents were asked what factors would encourage them to use public transport more. One in ten (9.7%) cited more direct routes, while 7.8% would like ease of use of services. More reliable timetables and more reliable journeys times was important for one in sixteen persons surveyed. See Table 1.9.
Nearly seven in every ten (68.5%) of persons aged 18 years and over walk a number of times a week, with 38.5% walking at least 5 times a week. Cycling is less frequent with 6.8% of persons surveyed cycling a number of times a week. See Table 1.10.
When asked what factors would encourage them to walk more, 36.1% cited safer walking environment, while over one in five (20.6%) would like better infrastructure, such as more footpaths. Improved health would encourage 35.8% to walk more, and this was a factor also for one in five (20.5%) who would like to cycle more. Safer cycling routes was a factor cited by over three in ten (31.7%) of persons who would like to cycle more in the future. See Tables 1.11 and 1.12.
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