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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idOn Census day 2021 in Greater Melbourne, 43.6% of females travelled to work in a private car, 5.7% took public transport and 2.7% rode a bike or walked. 32.0% 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 females (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Main method of travel | Number | % | Queensland % | Number | % | Queensland % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Train | 43,567 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 115,136 | 11.5 | 3.4 | -71,569 |
| Bus | 11,717 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 17,403 | 1.7 | 3.8 | -5,686 |
| Tram | 11,422 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 27,971 | 2.8 | 0.1 | -16,549 |
| Ferry | 123 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 114 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +9 |
| Taxi/ride-share | 2,606 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1,346 | 0.1 | 0.2 | +1,260 |
| Car - as driver | 466,164 | 39.7 | 56.5 | 559,255 | 56.0 | 62.0 | -93,091 |
| Car - as passenger | 45,347 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 48,012 | 4.8 | 6.1 | -2,665 |
| Truck | 252 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 236 | 0.0 | 0.1 | +16 |
| Motorbike | 593 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 759 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -166 |
| Bicycle | 5,512 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 8,773 | 0.9 | 0.5 | -3,261 |
| Walked only | 25,708 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 32,343 | 3.2 | 3.4 | -6,635 |
| Other | 9,149 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 9,715 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -566 |
| Worked at home | 375,486 | 32.0 | 15.7 | 51,636 | 5.2 | 6.3 | +323,850 |
| Did not go to work | 170,803 | 14.6 | 13.4 | 117,387 | 11.8 | 11.9 | +53,416 |
| Not stated | 4,348 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 8,441 | 0.8 | 0.8 | -4,093 |
| Total employed persons aged 15+ | 1,172,797 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 998,527 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +174,270 |
Dominant groups
In 2021, there were 66,829 females who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in Greater Melbourne, compared with 512,356 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).
Analysis of the method of travel to work of the female residents in Greater Melbourne in 2021, compared to Queensland, shows that 5.7% used public transport, while 43.6% used a private vehicle, compared with 4.2% and 61.8% respectively in Queensland.
The major differences in females between the method of travel to work of Greater Melbourne and Queensland were:
- A larger percentage of females who worked at home (32.0% compared to 15.7%)
- A larger percentage of females who travelled by train (3.7% compared to 1.9%)
- A smaller percentage of females who travelled by car (as driver) (39.7% compared to 56.5%)
- A smaller percentage of females who travelled by car (as a passenger) (3.9% compared to 5.2%)
Emerging groups
The number of employed females in Greater Melbourne increased by 174,270 between 2016 and 2021.
The largest changes in the method of travel to work by female resident population in Greater Melbourne between 2016 and 2021 were for those nominated:
- Worked at home (+323,850 females)
- Car - as driver (-93,091 females)
- Train (-71,569 females)
- Did not go to work (+53,416 females)
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