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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idOn Census day 2021 in Greater Melbourne, 55.2% of males travelled to work in a private car, 4.9% took public transport and 2.8% rode a bike or walked. 25.9% worked at home.
Greater Melbourne's commuting statistics reveal the main modes of transport by which residents get to work. There are a number of reasons why people use different modes of transport to get to work including the availability of affordable and effective public transport options, the number of motor vehicles available within a household, and the distance travelled to work.
Commuting data is very useful in transport planning as it informs decision-makers about the availability, effectiveness and utilisation of local transport options, particularly when analysed with Residents Place of Work data and Car Ownership.
WARNING: Method of travel to work relates to Census day, which for the 2021 Census occurred during COVID-19 lockdowns for large parts of Australia. In lockdown, many occupations were required to work from home if possible, and some industries were closed, so people did not go to work. For this reason, these categories may have increased, with corresponding declines in other methods of travel. Use the data with caution when comparing over time. For more details, please refer to the data notes.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'How did the person get to work on Tuesday, 10 August 2021?'
| Method of travel to work | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne - Employed males (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2011 | Change | ||||
| Main method of travel | Number | % | South East Queensland % | Number | % | South East Queensland % | 2011 to 2021 |
| Train | 44,246 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 100,411 | 9.7 | 4.8 | -56,165 |
| Bus | 8,652 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 13,218 | 1.3 | 4.0 | -4,566 |
| Tram | 8,986 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 19,283 | 1.9 | 0.0 | -10,297 |
| Ferry | 303 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 344 | 0.0 | 0.2 | -41 |
| Taxi/ride-share | 2,822 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2,601 | 0.3 | 0.2 | +221 |
| Car - as driver | 670,023 | 52.7 | 61.0 | 663,631 | 64.4 | 63.9 | +6,392 |
| Car - as passenger | 32,742 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 36,210 | 3.5 | 4.7 | -3,468 |
| Truck | 11,346 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 13,998 | 1.4 | 2.2 | -2,652 |
| Motorbike | 5,149 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 7,010 | 0.7 | 1.5 | -1,861 |
| Bicycle | 12,590 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 18,544 | 1.8 | 1.5 | -5,954 |
| Walked only | 22,615 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 27,703 | 2.7 | 2.9 | -5,088 |
| Other | 14,523 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 13,098 | 1.3 | 1.6 | +1,425 |
| Worked at home | 329,843 | 25.9 | 14.8 | 30,568 | 3.0 | 3.7 | +299,275 |
| Did not go to work | 102,607 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 67,833 | 6.6 | 7.5 | +34,774 |
| Not stated | 5,757 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 16,055 | 1.6 | 1.3 | -10,298 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 1,272,204 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 1,030,507 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +241,697 |
Dominant groups
In 2021, there were 62,187 males who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in Greater Melbourne, compared with 719,260 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).
Analysis of the method of travel to work of the male residents in Greater Melbourne in 2021, compared to South East Queensland, shows that 4.9% used public transport, while 55.2% used a private vehicle, compared with 4.5% and 64.3% respectively in South East Queensland.
The major differences in males between the method of travel to work of Greater Melbourne and South East Queensland were:
- A larger percentage of males who worked at home (25.9% compared to 14.8%)
- A larger percentage of males who travelled by train (3.5% compared to 2.4%)
- A smaller percentage of males who travelled by car (as driver) (52.7% compared to 61.0%)
- A smaller percentage of males who travelled by bus (0.7% compared to 2.0%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed males in Greater Melbourne increased by 241,697 between 2011 and 2021.
The largest changes in the method of travel to work by male resident population in Greater Melbourne between 2011 and 2021 were for those nominated:
- Worked at home (+299,275 males)
- Train (-56,165 males)
- Did not go to work (+34,774 males)
- Not stated (-10,298 males)
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