More than two thirds of Hungarian workers opt for public transport according to international survey
A new international workplace survey found that more than two in three Hungarian workers choose public transport in preference to a motor vehicle to travel to work.
The survey by global recruitment agency, Kelly Services, found that 68% of Hungarian workers use public transport to travel to and from work while 32% use it rarely or never.
Hungary’s use of public transport was relatively high by international standards, ranking 10th out of 28 countries in the survey.
Hungary has one of the survey’s most accessible public transport systems, with 91% of respondents saying that they had the choice of using public transport to travel to work.
When asked what single factor would encourage greater use of public transport, ‘more frequent services’ and ‘lower prices’ were both cited by 23% of respondents, followed by ‘improved comfort’ (20%).
Other issues such as better safety or security ranked relatively low.
Lower prices were much more important to those under 24 years of age, and frequency of services was a high priority for older workers.
The Kelly Services Global Workforce Index sought the views of approximately 70,000 people in 28 countries including Hungary.
Globally, the biggest users of public transport were in Asia with 93% of Indonesians using public transport, followed by Hong Kong (88%) and Singapore (86%).
The lowest users were Turkey (29%), the United States (34%) and Puerto Rico (36%).
“Public transport is vital in enabling people to find work and stay employed,” said Anikó Jónás Managing Director, Kelly Services.
Where private transport is not accessible, public transport is often the only option. Access to reliable, safe and cost-effective public transport has a bearing on the way people feel about their jobs, daily stress levels and on their capacity to meet family responsibilities. The provision of public transport also makes an important contribution to economic growth because it allows people to respond to fluctuating economic conditions and employment trends. In a dynamic employment market, many people will want to take advantage of opportunities in particular geographic areas as well as respond to the need for part time, casual work or shift work.
The availability of a good public transport system makes it much easier to respond quickly to changing job requirements and for employers to get staff where and when they are needed. Many people are perfectly happy to use public transport rather than drive a private motor vehicle but if the system is inaccessible or too costly, they are left with little choice,” she said.
Issues associated with private vehicle use include congested roads and environmental concerns including, noise, air pollution and greenhouse emissions. Motor vehicles are the major source of the most common air pollutants in many urban areas.They also inhibit pedestrian movement in major cities and contribute to gridlock in commercial centres.
Hungarian workers in industries including education, travel/leisure, transport/distribution and utilities all have a greater likelihood of using public transport.
Media contact:
Anikó Jónás
Managing director
E-mail: ajonas@kellyservices.hu
Tel: +36 1 354 2770