[Article] One million Irish households own a car

Victor

http://www.onbusiness.ie/2004/0219/cso.html

One million Irish households own a car
February 19, 2004 (12:47)

Irish workers own more cars, and are using those cars to get to work, according to new census figures published by the central Statistics Office.

According to the 2002 census, one million Irish households own at least one car - up a remarkable 330,000 since 1991.

Car ownership was highest in Meath at 88%, Fingal was next with 87% and Kildare also had 87%. In Dublin city only 58% of households owned a car.

Of Ireland's 1.6 million workers, 55% or 887,000 drive to work. Five years earlier, the figure was just 46%.

If passengers and van or lorry drivers are included, then 69% of Irish workers travel to work in private vehicles

The highest level of car commuters was found in Carrigaline Co Cork where 74% of workers use cars, closely followed by Dunboyne with 70%, and Tramore with 70%. In Dublin city and suburbs, around 47% of people drive to work.

The average distance to work was 9.8 miles which took an average of 27 minutes.

Only 11% of us walk to work, though in Sligo, Westport and Ballina, around a quarter of workers made their journey on foot.

The figures also reveal that half of Irish primary schoolchildren are driven to school - compared with only one fifth in 1981. 25% of rural schoolchidren use the bus, compared to 11% for city kids.

The towns with the higherst percentage of children walking to school were Shannon with 62%, Leixlip with 61%, Ashbourne 59% and Portmarnock 58%.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/02/19/story134935.html

Census figures show high car usage among Irish workers
19/02/2004 - 11:42:32 am

More than half of Ireland’s 1.6 million workers drive to work every day, according to the latest census figures published by the Central Statistics Office.

The CSO said 55% of those questioned in the 2002 census drove to work, while a further 14% travelled to work as car passengers or as van or lorry drivers.

Carrigaline was found to have the highest car usage among workers at 74%, followed by Dunboyne (70%), Tramore (67%), and Naas (65%).

The census figures published today also showed that Irish workers travelled an average of just under 10 miles from their homes to their workplace in 2002, compared to an average of 6.7 miles in 1996.

The average journey time to work was found to be 27 minutes.

The figures showed that urban workers spent longer travelling to work than rural workers, even though they lived closer to their places of work.

The CSO said only 11% of employees walked to their place of work in 2002.

seamus

The figures also reveal that half of Irish primary schoolchildren are driven to school - compared with only one fifth in 1981. 25% of rural schoolchidren use the bus, compared to 11% for city kids.

This is a big problem. A lot of schools have been off this week, and the drop in traffic has been extremely noticeable. It's still quite heavy, but not nearly as gridlocked and frustrating as usual.

I think there should be incentives to get children to walk, cycle or get the bus to school. Perhaps extremely cheap yearly bus tickets, valid from say September 1st to July 1st. Subsidised bicycles sold through the schools. Maybe even charges for parents who drive just one child to school, with the charge waivered for parents who group together and carry 2+ kids. Obviously this wouldn't be a per-day basis, more a chargecard sort of system.

Something does need to be done about parents driving kids to school though.

Victor

Devils advocate: why should it be the children who cycle / walk? Is it just that we can dictate to them but adults can use whatever they choose?

Similar story http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/02/19/story134935.html

Census figures show high car usage among Irish workers
19/02/2004 - 11:42:32 am

More than half of Ireland’s 1.6 million workers drive to work every day, according to the latest census figures published by the Central Statistics Office.

The CSO said 55% of those questioned in the 2002 census drove to work, while a further 14% travelled to work as car passengers or as van or lorry drivers.

Carrigaline was found to have the highest car usage among workers at 74%, followed by Dunboyne (70%), Tramore (67%), and Naas (65%).

The census figures published today also showed that Irish workers travelled an average of just under 10 miles from their homes to their workplace in 2002, compared to an average of 6.7 miles in 1996.

The average journey time to work was found to be 27 minutes.

The figures showed that urban workers spent longer travelling to work than rural workers, even though they lived closer to their places of work.

The CSO said only 11% of employees walked to their place of work in 2002.

Borzoi

Car ownership was highest in Meath at 88%, Fingal was next with 87% and Kildare also had 87%. In Dublin city only 58% of households owned a car.

So is it those long distance commuters coming from around Dublin who are clogging up our roads while the poor 'ol Dub has to use Public Transport?

Ownership is really a bit of a useless statistic, I wonder is there something available on usage.

seamus

Originally posted by Victor
Devils advocate: why should it be the children who cycle / walk? Is it just that we can dictate to them but adults can use whatever they choose?

Very valid, and I'd highly advocate that people be encouraged to use other forms of transport. Certainly, the average an adult travels to work is 10 miles, which is probably just under an hour's cycle by the average person's measure. I would say anything over 10 miles would be a bit of an excessive and slower trek, unless you preferred cycling.

However, although there's no figures for it, I'd guess that the average distance a child in Dublin lives from their school is about 3 miles. Driving a child this distance is pure waste. I lived 3 miles from my school, and it equated to a 15 minute cycle (10 minutes on a windy day ) or a 35 minute walk. My primary school was even closer. My parents used to laugh at me if I asked for a lift. Raining? I was told to wear my raingear.

Any child who lives <= 5 miles from school should be told to cycle or walk. That's my opinion on it anyway.

So is it those long distance commuters coming from around Dublin who are clogging up our roads while the poor 'ol Dub has to use Public Transport?

Ownership is really a bit of a useless statistic, I wonder is there something available on usage.

I'm guessing that by Dublin City, they mean the borough or Dublin City Council, which is basically everywhere within 30 minutes walk from the city centre. If so, 58% is a high figure. It would make sense that people living anywhere close to the city wouldn't own a vehicle, especially considering a fair proportion of that is rented accomodation, i.e. people living close to their place of work.

I'd like to know what the figures are for SDCC and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Victor

So is it those long distance commuters coming from around Dublin who are clogging up our roads while the poor 'ol Dub has to use Public Transport? Ownership is really a bit of a useless statistic, I wonder is there something available on usage.

People who don't own cars can't use them. There is a distinct pattern of people from DL-R using their cars, hence the moans from public representative there that the city is imposing an unfair tax on them through parking charges. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by seamus
I'm guessing that by Dublin City, they mean the borough or Dublin City Council, which is basically everywhere within 30 minutes walk from the city centre.

Yes, I imagine it refers to the Dublin City Council area, but you would hardly get from Kilbarrack, Finglas or Terenure to the city centre in 30 minutes walking.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/02/19/story135004.html

Greens say car findings disastrous
19/02/2004 - 6:16:56 pm

The Green Party has described the census findings that over one million households use a car to get to work as "disastrous".

The party's transport spokesman Eamon Ryan has said we are the most car dependent country in the world and we must change our attitudes.

Mr Ryan has said the car dependency will lead to huge environmental and social problems.

"We are spending four times the amount of capital funds on new roads than we are spending on public transport.

"It is not surprising that in return we are seeing these travel patterns emerging. We need to change the way we fund transport and wee need to change our plans so it is safer for kids to walk and cycle to school," said Mr Ryan.

Bee

So we are beginning to catch up with our european neighbours Goodo!.

The Green Party has described the census findings that over one million households use a car to get to work as "disastrous".

:rolleyes:

Disaster my £rse! However would we pay for civil servants bench marking, t.d.'s salaries etc. Unless the vast amount of taxation on car ownership was used and abused?

"We are spending four times the amount of capital funds on new roads than we are spending on public transport.

Excellent to see the amount of spending on new roads. The elimination of our poor road system will contribute to less carnage and aid the economy.


Private/Business car ownership must be thoroughly catered for as it contributes a staggering amount in revenue to the Gov. via taxation on petrol/purchasing of cars/road tax etc and most importently the economy is driven by profits earned by business users of the car.

Unfortunately the Green's think profit generation is a dirty word.

Never mind the personal freedom of choice of individuals to drive.

Obviously Horses for Courses! If you can walk to your destination do it! If you can cycle do it, I laugh at the unenforced laws as everyday Moms/n/Pops drop Tarquin & Fiona to school usually double parking in the process making it more dangerous for child cyclists. Of course I know of many parents that stopped their children cycling after madcap cycle lanes/footpath extensions and other dangerous to cyclist road adjustments were made by loony DCC inmates.

What use are laws when they are not enforced?

Bee

Victor

Bee, any loss in revenue from mineral oil taxes can more than be made up for in increased productivity and increased spending elsewhere in the economy. It would also help the balance of payments quite a bit.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/2580542?view=Eircomnet

Half of all primary pupils driven to school, census shows
From:ireland.com
Friday, 20th February, 2004

New census figures show a greater reliance on the car to get to school and work, with a million households now owning at least one car.

Far fewer primary pupils are walking to school than in the past. While walking was the main way of getting to primary school in 1981 with 47 per cent of pupils going on foot, only 26 per cent are now walking, according to the 2002 census.

Figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office show that half of all primary pupils are driven to school, compared with only one fifth in 1981.

More adults are also using cars to get to work. Of the State's 1.6 million workers, 55 per cent drive to work - up from 46 per cent five years ago. When passengers and van or lorry drivers are included, the figure for people travelling to work in private vehicles increases to almost 70 per cent.

The findings reflect the increase in car ownership. One million households own at least one car, according to the census, a rise of a third in 10 years.

Car ownership is highest in Meath, Fingal and Kildare, where almost nine out of ten households own a car. In Dublin city, the figure is 58 per cent.

Fine Gael Health Spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said there "was no doubt" methods of transport to school and work, along with diet, had caused the huge increase in obesity.

"A lack of public transport and concerns about public safety mean that children are driven everywhere. They're even driven to play. What we're looking at is a complete change in lifestyle from their parents' generation."

Green Party transport spokesman, Mr Eamon Ryan, said the change would have dire social, economic and environmental consequences. "The figures present an almost unrelenting picture of gloom for everyone except the car salesman. Some 350,000 more people use motorised vehicles to travel as against an increase of only 43,000 using sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and public transport. This is an atrocious indictment of our transport and planning strategies."

Particularly noticeable he said, was the decrease of 27 per cent in the number cycling to work, reflecting the fact that more people are having to live further away from their work.

The children being driven to school were setting a pattern for life, which could have long-term detrimental effects, he said.

"The most worrying part of these figures is the transport habits which are now being created in the primary and secondary schools of Ireland. There are undoubted health consequences, such as rising obesity levels, for both this generation as well as future ones.

"Behind the figures is the story of massive increases in pollution, wasted hours spent in traffic jams and alarming levels of obesity and early onset diabetes as our young children forget how to use their legs. It is clear that Government policy needs to be radically reviewed in order to reverse these alarming travel patterns."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said that fewer children walking to school, and that lifestyles in general had become more sedentary, had been considered by the task force on obesity, due to report in the coming weeks.

"The strategy it will set out will be multidisciplinary. It is particularly aimed at children and the level of exercise they take will be looked at."

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport has revealed that there has been no drop in the number of provisional drivers waiting for tests. The average waiting time stands at more than 42 weeks.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2580741?view=Eircomnet

Grinding to a halt behind the wheel a recipe for disaster
From:The Irish Independent
Friday, 20th February, 2004
Martha Kearns

A "DISASTROUS change" in Irish transport patterns was revealed yesterday which it was claimed will have dire social, economic and environmental consequences for our society.

A gloomy picture was painted of commuters and school children abandoning cycling, walking and public transport to spend hours sitting in cars on their way to work and school.

New figures show that more than one million adults in this country - or 70pc of the entire workforce - use private vehicles to get to work.

This is a huge increase from five years ago when 60pc of workers used cars, vans, lorries or motorbikes to get to work.

In parallel, the numbers of people walking, cycling and taking public transport to get to their place of work has dropped over the past five years.

The same trend is also emerging in schools and colleges with a number of shocking patterns being revealed by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures published yesterday.

It showed there are now more second level girls driving themselves to school than there are cycling. And half of our primary school pupils are being driven to school - this is more than are using all other modes of transport, including walking, cycling, the bus and train, put together.

Figures from the Department of Finance, obtained yesterday by Fine Gael, show the Government spent €2.1bn on public transport over the past five years.

Fine Gael's deputy transport spokesperson Pat Breen said as car use rose so dramatically in the same period it showed that public transport policy was not working.

"In other words, the Government spent €2.1bn on public transport over this period, yet only 31pc of people nationwide used public transport to get to work. In Dublin, in spite of having the most comprehensive public transport system in Ireland, a staggering 47pc of workers drove to work in 2002," said Mr Breen.

Green Party Transport Spokesperson, Eamon Ryan, said the figures, a detailed analysis of the 2002 Census, presented an almost "unrelenting picture of gloom for everyone except the car salesman".

Labour transport spokesperson Roisin Shorthall said "part of the problem is the over emphasis on road building at the expense of public transport and overemphasis on privatisation."