Poor transport could be costing business billions

Increased road congestion and poor standards of public transport could be costing British business around £5 billion, a new survey has revealed.

A poll carried out by online recruitment service reed.co.uk has found that one in eight people miss at least an hour of work each week as a result of transport problems, while one in six have considered changing jobs because of inadequate transport provision.

Public transport got the thumbs down from many respondents, and was described as "diabolical" and "dirty". Travelling by car is favoured by every part of Britain – except for London, where most working time is lost thanks to delays in commuting, with some respondents estimating that they lose, on average, four hours a week.

Half of all respondents in the survey revealed that their journey to work was more stressful than it was four years ago, with one in three workers reporting a significant reduction in time spent with family and friends due to travel problems.

Responding to the findings, Paul Rapacioli, Director of reed.co.uk, commented: "Transport problems have got so bad in this country that people are voting with their feet. In the last 12 months, hundreds have moved where they work to try to avoid transport chaos.

"Employers urgently need to work with planners and the government to find new solutions."

(CL)