Commuting | Average commute now 18 hours longer than 10 years ago

UK workers are spending an extra 18 hours a year commuting to work compared with a decade ago, the TUC has found.

Getting to and from work now takes five minutes longer than it did in 2008 – with drivers spending 52 minutes on the road to work and back (up by three minutes), and bus commuters setting aside 79 minutes a day (up by seven minutes). However, rail commuters face the longest journeys, taking an average of two hours and 11 minutes every day – an increase of four minutes on the last decade.

“It’s great we’re investing in high speed rail between some of our major cities,” says TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady.

“But people more often use their local buses and trains on their daily commute. These need to be upgraded too."