Travel mode

Why it's important

Public and active transport modes have environmental and health benefits, and are more efficient ways of using transport infrastructure than private vehicles.

Key points

• The New Zealand Household Travel Survey showed that over four-fifths (83%) of all trips were by car, 62% by drivers and the remaining 21% as passengers.
• Being a pedestrian was the next most common trip mode, with 12% of all trips.
• Cycling and public transport comprised 3% and 2% respectively.

Note this is an interactive chart and you can select the legend items to change what is shown on the graph.

Commentary 

After a slight decline in the proportion of private vehicle trips between 2006 and 2009, this proportion has been increasing again to 2006 levels in 2014.

Travellers in Christchurch’s main urban area mostly use cars to travel, mostly as drivers (62%) with a much smaller proportion as passengers (21%).  Across New Zealand, people are slightly less likely to drive (60%) and more likely to be a passengers (24%).

The same proportion are pedestrians in Christchurch (12%) as for the whole of New Zealand (12%). Likewise, cyclists are similar (3% Christchurch, 1% New Zealand) and those who take public transport (2% Christchurch, 3% New Zealand).

An updated Household Travel Survey is underway. However, from 23 March 2020 to 30 June 2020, the Ministry paused face-to-face surveying for the Household Travel Survey due to the COVID-19 risk.