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Chapter Eight Understanding the long distance commuter - focus group research

Introduction

8.1. Focus groups were undertaken in order to allow more in-depth exploration of the circumstances, characteristics, behaviour, attitudes and life-styles which influence commuting length. In addition, consideration was given to the likelihood of people changing their travel patterns in the future.

8.2. The Scottish Household Survey was used to identify and select potential respondents who:

• took part in the SHS survey between 2003 to 2005
• at the time of the SHS survey travelled further than 15km to work
• agreed to take part in follow up work
• a workplace location was either Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling or Dundee

8.3. To achieve a good geographic spread of attendees, focus groups were held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling and Dundee. A target of eight participants per group was set. Participants covered a broad range of age groups, gender and mode of commuting. Table 8.1 below describes the composition of each group.

Table 8.1: Profile of focus group participants

8.4. All participants were told that the purpose of the discussion was to gather opinions regarding long distance commuting with a view to gaining an understanding of their travel. Group members were offered a fee of £20 to cover their expenses in attending the meeting.

8.5. Each group meeting followed a standard format, with the facilitator delivering a brief presentation of the background to the consultation, before opening the meeting up to discussion and debate. The purpose of the facilitator was to guide the discussion from topic to topic, probe and encourage discussion and ensure that all participants contributed their views.

8.6. The focus group discussion followed the topic guide summarised below. A more detailed outline of the guide is attached in Annex 4. Consistent with standard practice for facilitating focus group discussions, direct questions were rarely asked and the majority of information came from discussions that were encouraged to develop between focus group participants.

8.7. The topic guide covered the following:

• Personal introduction: purpose of the discussion, description of commute, location of home/work, mode, length, travel time, peak /off-peak, frequency
• General issues: likes/dislikes about commute; negative/positive consequences of long distance commuting; how did they become long distance commuters, changes over time
• Mode choice: preferred mode, switching to different transport arrangements
• Home: factors affecting residential location
• Work: work and workplace choices
• Future: will they continue long distance commuting, what would reduce long distance commuting

8.8. Participants from the group had the opportunity to introduce other topics as long as the discussion remained relevant to the objectives of the research.

8.9. The groups were informal sessions with refreshments, held in the early evening, lasting approximately one and a half hours. All conversation was tape recorded. Following each focus group, the proceedings were transcribed from the recordings. An initial grouping by topic was made and recurring themes were then identified. A comparison was made with notes made during the meetings. A selection of quotations which seemed to illustrate the key issues was made and is reproduced below.

Worst aspects of long distance commuting

8.10. Participants discussed the worst aspects of their long commute. The following general points regarding the main problems experienced by long distance commuters emerged from the group and are discussed in detail below.

8.11. The wasted journey time was seen as one of the worst aspect of a long commute. One participant commented:

"I just begrudge the fact that I've got to account for an hour and half out of my day. It's not my time, I don't get paid for it, it's not work's time and it's not home life time." (female car commuter, Stirling)

8.12. Congestion was seen as a major issue for a number of participants, especially those travelling into Glasgow or Aberdeen. The problem was seen as especially bad at certain congested 'pinch points' in the network e.g. Kingston Bridge, Kincardine Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, Anderson Drive (Aberdeen) and Hermiston Gait (Edinburgh). Other factors seen as contributing to congestion include poor transport planning, ( e.g. long delays due to bad phasing of traffic lights) and traffic associated with travel to school. In addition, accidents and road works upset the general flow of traffic.

8.13. Factors associated with the stress of driving were mentioned by a few participants. Other drivers behaving dangerously or inconsiderately were the cause. Road safety concerns also contributed to stress. One participant commented:

"…….but I've seen a lot of people die on that road as I travel up and down over the last 13, 14 years - that's obviously a worry that you carry subconsciously - there's lot of fatal accidents on that road. It's not particularly good to drive - dual carriageway for four or five miles and the rest of it - it's just normal road, if you like. Personally that's quite a worry - I've had a few close scrapes - certainly seen a lot of deaths on that road. Like I say, it's subconscious more than you drive home every day thinking I'm going to die - To be truthful, it is a worry. Big negative." (male car commuter, Dundee)

8.14. Commuting was worse in bad weather, particularly in winter. A combination of either ice, snow, fog, darkness, rain and additional congestion contribute to making the commute unpleasant. One participant commented that:

"……….but just driving in the dark and wet is dreadful. There's no lighting. So long distances and there's nothing but cars coming towards you, cars behind you. Yes, it's not pleasant." (female, car commuter Glasgow)

8.15. One participant commented that the journey to work was boring and uneventful. As a consequence he almost goes into 'autopilot' behind the wheel:

"I could not tell you anything that I've passed other than the fact that I left my home at 6.30 and I've arrived in Dundee at eight o'clock. Couldn't tell you anywhere in between. I must obviously just completely switch off. On autopilot. Definitely. I'm obviously very alert - in terms of driving, but must be in a sort of state of mind where you're just not taking things in……because the journey is so uneventful and it's the same one that I did yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that." (male car commuter, Dundee)

8.16. The financial cost of car travel was viewed as a negative aspect of commuting. One participant felt the expense of petrol was the worst aspect of her commute.

8.17. One participant disliked his walk to the station because of a steep hill and the fact that the route is 'quite exposed'. The walk was especially unpleasant during winter months. He also disliked the station waiting environment as their station was unmanned, dark, had no facilities and limited shelter.

Best aspects of long distance commuting

8.18. Participants discussed the best aspects of their long commute. The following general themes regarding the main benefits experienced by long distance commuters emerged from the groups and are discussed below.

8.19. Many participants viewed the journey as time to relax, wind-down and reflect on the day's events, a time to just sit and think. It seems that the journey time provides a certain 'cooling-off period' before arriving home. Two participants commented that:

"………one of the things I do like about the train going home is that I have time to switch off from work because by the time I get home then I have kind of thought through anything that I had to think about during the day so I actually do enjoy that." (male train commuter, Edinburgh)

"I suppose - maybe not so much on the way in but certainly on the way home it gives me time to unwind before I arrive home, certainly, no matter how stressful a day it's been, by the time I arrive home it's kind of washed away." (female car commuter, Dundee)

8.20. Many of the participants engaged in other activities to make their journey more enjoyable ( e.g. listening to the radio). One train user would either sleep or read a book.

"I think I probably enjoy the journey in - because it's my time, and I can listen to radio, and sing along." (female car commuter, Dundee)

8.21. Some participants preferred commuting during the summer months as the journey was more enjoyable. In addition, they felt there was more time available to take part in activities in the evening during summer (eg gardening).

8.22. One participant enjoyed her walk to the station in the mornings.

8.23. One participant enjoyed the scenery en-route as it seems to change everyday depending on the weather.

Consequences of long distance commuting

8.24. All groups discussed the benefits of a separation between work and home. Participants commented that they enjoyed not living close to their work. A 'psychological distance' was created from knowing work is far away. For some, living away from work created a 'being on holiday feel' and a 'sense of unburdening'.

"I think from my point of view I don't like to live on top of my work. I have always lived 15 or 20 miles away from where I work. I do like to feel as if I've got a sense of getting out of there you know, away from it."(male train commuter, Edinburgh).

8.25. As a consequence of congestion some commuters altered their route and travelled further to avoid traffic jams. Participants would often leave as early as possible in the mornings to avoid the worst of the congestion. A further negative consequence of congestion was the uncertainty and difficulty of not knowing how long the journey will take each day and the need for their employers to be understanding of their circumstances. Only one respondent commented that they not mind congestion on their commute as they saw it as 'work time'. One participant commented that :

"I hate getting stuck in traffic. Congestion is a big one for me because I'll drive miles to avoid standing in a queue. If I get stuck in a traffic jam I'll do a ten mile detour rather than sit in the traffic even though it ends up me being later than if I had sat there in the traffic because I just get frustrated." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.26. The early morning commute resulted in one participant going to bed early (10pm) every night.

8.27. Participants felt there was less time available for leisure activities, exercise and visiting friends after work. One participant stopped going to the gym because he was getting home too late. In contrast, one participant commented that she would hate the thought of not doing something because of the long commute.

8.28. One participant felt that a negative aspect to his commute was less time to spend with his young family, although he would try and leave work as early as possible so that he could see his children before they went to sleep in the evening.

"In terms of time I suppose it's fairly considerable. Suppose in its worse case scenario a couple of hours a day, ten hours a week - more than a working day really, isn't it. So it's a fairly sizeable chunk of my life………..I don't want to be one of these dads that turn up when their children are fast asleep in bed sort of thing. You seen them at night but you've never seen them in the morning. Yeah. They're fast asleep when I leave." (male car commuter, Dundee)

8.29. Participants felt that because of their long commute, planning and effort was required when taking part in evening activities. The journey home after going out could make the whole night seem very long. For many participants there would not be enough time to go home and then come back into town in the evenings. As a result, they often found themselves with spare time between work finishing and an event in the evening near work. One participant viewed this as a positive as it provided a convenient excuse to drop by on friends.

"I do night classes on a Monday night at Glasgow University so I have to go to the gym after work to make up some time before the class starts because there isn't time for me to get home, have my dinner to come back out again. Which makes it a very very long night and that's one of the nights I probably take my car because the thought of having to then go and get the train and then wait for it and get the train home is just too long… …….But I would hate to not do the class just because I have that commute."(female train user, Glasgow)

8.30. Two participants reported working longer hours so that they avoided peak congestion and reduced their journey times to/from work.

"For five or six years I found myself getting into a cycle of leaving before seven in the morning. Getting to the office at half seven because I was avoiding the rush and then not leaving until half past six, 7.0'clock at night……….to avoid the rush at the end and I sort of stood back and thought, oh wait a minute what is this gaining me?" (male car commuter, Glasgow)

8.31. Some participants found that the distance between work and home meant that opportunities to socialise with colleagues after work were reduced. However, one commented that her pattern of socialising altered to include both near work (in the city) and at home

"Although I do have friends at work, I tend not to mix socially an awful lot with them. Again because - once I've got home and got changed and seen to the beasts - by the time I - you know - have a shower, get dressed up, go back into town again, it's just not feasible, so I don't - tend not to do that very much." (female car commuter, Aberdeen)

8.32. Participants were generally resigned to the fact that they were long distance commuters and tended to see their commute as just part of their working day. For some, their commute was viewed as a 'fact of life' or a 'necessary evil to pay the bills'. For many, given where they wanted to live and work, there is no alternative to their current commute.

"……….in my set of circumstances, I can't see anything different, to be honest. If you want something then you have to be able to pay, and possibly factors such as driving long distances or taking journeys over long distance to keep that employment going. If I didn't need to work I certainly wouldn't be commuting to Dundee every day. It's just a means to an end, I'm afraid". (male car commuter, Dundee)

"You know, I don't even really think about it - it's just something that you have to do, and - because I've chosen to live where I'm living, that was part and parcel of the decision. And there's really no point in complaining about it. Other than that - you know - it would do your head in." (male car commuter, Dundee)

8.33. For many, commuting was not seen as a big part of their life. Comments included:

• they rarely though about it
• the travel time was not unreasonable
• compared to other areas ( e.g. London or the Scottish islands) their commute was easy

Home location

8.34. The following general themes relating to home location decisions emerged from each of the groups and each of these points are discussed in detail below:

• desire to live in a rural location
• local amenities
• near family/friends
• house prices/ cost of living
• sense of community
• schools
• length/type of commute
• no choice available ( e.g. always been in the area)
• moving home

8.35. Participants often found their own reasons, as to why they live and work where they do, difficult to explain. There are many factors involved in the decisions and it proved difficult for some to rank them in order of importance. Participants sometimes thought that they may not be consciously aware of which factors influenced their location decisions. As one participant commented:

"Most of the decisions are made sort of subconscious, you know, it's all kind of very subconscious…………you don't write them down." (male car commuter, Dundee)

No choice available

8.36. For some, there was no element of choice in where they lived, as they had been in the local area all their life and it was more a choice not to move. They had become long distance commuters as they chose to stay in their local area as their employment location changed. One participant commented that:

"…………. it wasn't a conscious effort on my part to move to the area, it was the area I live in, and then - just the jobs change and hence I'm a long distance commuter, for what it's worth." (female car commuter, Stirling)

8.37. Financial constraints prevented some participants from making a choice about where to live or work. For example, one participant felt he had no choice but to move in with his mother after getting back from a 'year out' travelling in Australia and having no money. He had ended up settled in the area and was now reluctant to consider moving. Another participant had no funds to move away from home straight after finishing school and was commuting from Stonehaven to Aberdeen for an apprenticeship.

Desire to live in a rural location

8.38. For some participants, the desire to live in a rural location was a major factor in their decision regarding where to live. One participant commented that:

"When I first came here………….I knew where I was working and I was trying to find somewhere to live and I actually wanted to live away somewhere where I was a bit more in the country and a bit more space." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.39. Another participant had moved from living in the city centre near her work to a rural area because that was where her partner wanted to live.

8.40. Participants in all the groups discussed the benefits of living in a rural location and the lifestyle it affords:

• a couple of participants enjoyed the benefits of living in relatively rural areas which were near hills or water which provided nice scenery ( e.g. views of the Firth of Forth) and countryside to go walking
• one participant commented that living in a rural location over the previous few years gave her a feeling of being 'on holiday'
• one participant had a lot of animals and as a consequence preferred to live in a rural area
• one participant had previously lived in the city centre but had found it too stressful. Being in a relatively rural location kept him 'sane'
• for participants who had always lived in a rural area, the thought of moving to the city nearer their work did not appeal:

"I was brought up in the country, so when I moved to the town, at first I took really bad with it. I was so used to looking out the window and seeing fields and the sea, and whatever, that to look out the window and see a brick wall and another house." (female car commuter, Dundee)

8.41. One participant had considered moving to the city but had decided that she preferred to have her own back garden and see trees and skies. If she lived in the city, 'big solid granite houses on both sides and scarcely a chink of sunlight getting through between the buildings' was likely to make her feel suffocated.

8.42. Other participants discussed the negative aspects of living in a rural location. For some, these negative aspects prevented them from moving to even more rural locations. Others were willing to accept these disadvantage as part of the 'trade-offs' for living where they wanted. Disadvantages of living in a rural location include:

• some participants were not too keen on a rural location as it would be too remote and far away from amenities
• one participant had previously considered moving to a more rural location, but at the time his children were teenagers and they didn't want to be reliant on him providing a 'taxi-service'
• one participant had considered moving somewhere more rural, but the practicalities ( e.g. travel to work/school and bad weather), discouraged him.

"My wife likes to live more rural than we do at the moment, but we weighed up the pros and cons of that. We didn't think it was really feasible. There's some very nice places up here to live in the country but when you think about the weather and the practicalities of it with young children getting to school and both parents going to work and that, it's often not quite practical. Although it would be quite nice to live somewhere like that." (male car commuter Edinburgh)

• for some, an undesirable consequence of living in a rural location was poor availability of public transport links
• another further negative consequence to living in a rural area was poorly maintained roads ( e.g. a single track road, a "potholed, rutted track which eats suspension", roads not getting gritted in the snow)

"……..wouldn't consider the - rural location - don't particularly want that kind of lifestyle either, to be honest - driving 47 miles to get a pint of milk and going back to the homestead just doesn't appeal to me at all." (male car commuter Dundee)

Local amenities

8.43. Living close to local facilities was important to some participants. One participant liked being near to leisure facilities ( e.g. golf courses). Another participant didn't like the idea of being too far from local amenities.

"And local amenities I guess is quite important too. I don't think I would enjoy living in the middle of nowhere or working in the middle of nowhere." (male car commuter, Glasgow)

8.44. Many participants felt that the benefits of living in countryside outweighed the lack of amenities. A couple of participants felt that local amenities were less of an issue when considering where to live as they can drive to them ( e.g.'we do find ourselves coming over the (Forth Road) Bridge quite a bit to do major shopping and stuff like that').

Near family (and friends)

8.45. All groups discussed the location of their home in relation to being in close proximity to their families. Some participants viewed this as the most important factor associated with where they live.

8.46. The importance of being near family changing at different life stages was discussed. For example, one participant felt that since getting married, the 'being near family and friends' requirement has probably become more important. Another participant comments that:

'He (her husband) and his family have farmed in that area for generations now, so he's got very close links with the area. His family are all there. And although we don't actually see them all that often, he's got really strong roots, and I'm kind of growing them, and - so I don't think we would want to move anywhere else, to be honest with you.' (female car commuter, Aberdeen)

8.47. A couple of participants mentioned the requirement to live near sick relatives as a major factor in their home location. Family commitments, such as caring for an elderly mother, prevented one participant from even thinking about relocating. Another participant had moved back to her home area to help care for her ageing mother in order to enable her mother to continue living in her own home. She commented that:

"Well I moved back to help look after aged parents so my sister and I bought a house ten doors along from my mother so that we could help look after her. We can look after her and help her to stay in her own home, but we don't have to move in to look after her. Two minutes and we're at the door." (female car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.48. Family reasons made participants reluctant to leave their local area and move closer to work. They appreciated being able to just 'pop round' to family/friends for a visit. For others it did not seem reasonable to move house and disrupt the children just to save travel time.

"I think when you have been born and brought up somewhere I think for most people they tend to stick unless job commitments or you really want to move away, but most people tend to stick to the same place because it's where your family and your friends are. That's why I chose to stay in Paisley……… I could certainly move somewhere nearer work………..but then I would be away from family, friends." (female car commuter, Glasgow)

"I've Family, kids at school and so moving house to save me travelling 25 minutes a day [laughing] - wouldn't even think about doing that." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.49. Two participants had considered moving closer to work, but the main reason against doing so was their partners desire to be near their extended family.

"We did look at moving at least ten years ago but my wife just didn't want to be parted from her family………at the end of the day if she's not happy then obviously that affects us, so it didn't happen. My own family is split all over the world so that doesn't matter. But then it goes back to that decision we made not to move to many years ago……..a big element of that was keep the wife happy in relation to the rest of her family, which is a big element for us collectively…..My wife certainly has quite a close family and that's good obviously with a youngster involved now as well with grandparents and all the rest of it." (male car commuter, Dundee)

"My partner and her kids have always lived in the area so they don't want to move from there. Her son is at the High School so it's ideal for that. So they are not going to want to move from that area for those things……..but ideally for me I would rather be on the west, but they are not going to want to move from the area (laughter) just because that's where they know. You kind of accept that when you go there, but for me it's not a choice thing it's a necessity at the moment." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.50. For some, family was not a major reason for staying in their current location. One participant commented that it was due to 'apathy, lethargy and comfort zone' that kept her in the area rather than having any true family connection to the suburb.

8.51. One participant felt that being near family and friends was not a major requirement as travel is fairly easy and friends/family live in scattered locations.

"Family and friends wouldn't matter because I travel - could go and see them anyway. Because my family is all over the place." (female car commuter, Dundee)

House prices/cost of living

8.52. All groups discussed high house prices as a major factor in their initial decision of where they chose to live. One participant who was originally priced out of the market decided to stay in a suburb rather than move closer to her place of work.

"I came to work in Aberdeen at the same time as I got married, some 30 years ago. And we were priced out of Aberdeen houses and chose to live in Westhill, a garden suburb." (female car commuter, Aberdeen).

8.53. In addition to being a major factor in the initial choice of home location, high house prices prevented some from being able to move nearer their work. Another participant would like to stay in the area near his work, but cannot get a big enough mortgage to be able to afford anything.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to afford it. It is too expensive. Most places are going through the roof." (male car commuter, Aberdeen)

8.54. One participant didn't see the point in looking for property closer to work as she could never afford to live there:

"I can't move near the centre because I can't afford anything because the house prices have gone up so ballistic……I mean price wise I would like to move and live in the West End, but there's no way I can afford it. And there's no point in even looking there. My family is local to where I live and it's actually not too bad a place." (female train commuter, Glasgow)

8.55. One Edinburgh participant had put offers in for property closer to his work, but kept losing out on price.

8.56. It was felt that you get more for your money if you move further from the city centres. Associated benefits included more space, larger property and decent gardens.

"…… I couldn't afford to live in Stirling. I could have maybe got a hut in Stirling for what I paid for a three-bedroom flat." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.57. Some participants commented that they might stop long distance commuting when they have enough money to afford to buy property closer to work:

"as I progress through my job and I get pay rises and promotions and I get a bit more money behind me I think I might potentially look at somewhere a little bit nearer……..I would consider moving. The main thing against it is property prices… …..you have to weigh up whether or not you wanted to up your mortgage that much to do it. And that goes for anywhere in Edinburgh and even places like Linlithgow the property prices are the thing that keeps me out." (male train commuter, Edinburgh)

8.58. In addition to house prices, the cost of living was perceived to be higher nearer employment 'hotspots'. One participant would not be able to afford to move closer to work in the city centre unless he significantly changed the type of work he did to earn enough money.

"I certainly would consider living somewhere like Edinburgh but again, you've got to look at the sheer economics of the whole thing and how much money I'd need to earn to actually keep the lifestyle that I've currently got. And you're talking a lot of money……..and how many people are there to provide that, there's obviously banks and other financial institutions that could provide that type of salary but it's very difficult to break into that kind of market unless you've come through." (male car commuter, Dundee)

Sense of 'community'

8.59. One participant appreciated the small community feel of his home area and felt it was a good area to bring up children.

"…everyone seems to know each other and get on particularly well, because it is a fairly tight community…..just the cursory sort of good morning, good night, or whatever it happens to be. So there's that kind of environment there and I think that - even more positive if you like - having a young daughter now, to try and sort of instil some kind of proper kind of morals, and.. just the community thing as well. I mean, you can walk down the street on a Saturday morning and buy your paper and get your rolls, and say hi to folk walking down the street - you know - that sort of thing." (male car commuter, Dundee)

Schools

8.60. The desire to be near good schools was not a major factor for most participants within the groups. The following issues associated with school arose in the discussions:

• one participant felt schooling was an important factor, but was considered along with house prices and good transport links
• another participant felt reluctant to move home as his children had friends in the area and at school
• one respondent commented that when they made the decision to move home the school location was not a factor, though it would be now

"It's a good environment, there's a good primary school - that was not a consideration initially, but - we now do have a young family so obviously it's a prime factor now." (male car commuter, Dundee)

Length/type of commute

8.61. Compared to other factors many participants didn't feel that the length of commute was very important in terms deciding where to work or live. However, for others, the reverse was the case.

"It would definitely be the commute for me because as I say I don't like travelling, but I've no option with my job. To be honest the moment I leave my house in the morning that's the time I start working. So if it takes you an hour or an hour and bit it's like you do an eleven hour day when you are travelling. So if I could get all my work at Edinburgh I would be quite happy. Being half an hour away would be fine. It's definitely commute for me." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.62. When considering moving to a new location, one couple considered the drive time to work at peak times and even drove the route to get an accurate picture of how long it would take in practice. Houses that would otherwise have been perfectly suitable were rejected if the drive to work took too long.

"……….Well when we were looking at places to live, I mean, one of the first things we did was drive at sort of peak times and see what it was going to be like. And we dismissed Kincardine, we had to. There was a really nice house right up the top of Kincardine, we would have loved. Well we just knew at certain times of the day you just wouldn't get anywhere. It was gridlock there………sort of three o'clock in the afternoon onwards. Just would not have worked for us. So that, you know, was a consideration." (female car commuter, Stirling)

8.63. One participant, who was relocating from England, considered good public transport connections in his decision regarding home location. Specific places with bad public transport services and poor road connections were rejected on these grounds. In particular, close proximity to a rail route was a major factor in the final location decision. The fact that he now lived in a place with a good train service to work meant his household did not need to purchase a second car. He felt the cost of an extra car on top of all the expenditure on a new house and the relocation would be too much.

"I think we did try to find somewhere that had a transport connection to where I was working, even if we were only going to use it as contingency. We didn't know at that time, but I've always tried to look for a property that's got reasonable public transport connections to it. My wife actually wanted to live in Biggar West Linton that way. She loves it out there. It is beautiful there but trying to get in there-We actually put our name down for a house in Biggar and we were on our way to pay the deposit and realised hang on a minute we don't want to be doing this journey every day you know, so it was a bit of a learning process………………. and so eventually we started going along all the railway lines and things and going out (laughter) and eventually started to look over in Fife because obviously the scene and the pamphlets the properties are quite cheap." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.64. Participants felt there was a limit to the time they were prepared to spend commuting. What was viewed as an acceptable commuting time varied greatly between individuals. An hour or two was generally viewed as acceptable.

"I am travelling about as far as I would like to. I think any more than I am travelling just now I just wouldn't do it. I would either change jobs or change where I live. There is a limit. I mean as much as I enjoy my train journey I don't enjoy it that much. I think length of commute is quite important because as I said before if it was much longer than what I've got just now I think one of them would have to go because I wouldn't choose to commute for say two hours from house to work. So that would be quite important. I should think I'm at my maximum just now. An hour. That's it. Anything much more than that and I think I would be really fed up because it would just be cutting into too much of my day." (female train commuter, Glasgow)

8.65. Unsurprisingly, some participants would much prefer to live closer to their work and not have such a long commute.

"I don't think I ever chose to commute. I'm doing it because I live in one place and I work in another so it's kind of a means to an end. If I was five minutes away then that would be great because I wouldn't say I enjoy the commute. I would rather not do the commute. I would rather it was just five minutes away where I wouldn't have to spend an hour a day or two hours a day actually travelling." (female train commuter, Glasgow)

Moving home (eg to be closer to work)

8.66. Reasons given for not considering relocating closer to work were varied. For many, moving closer to work was not an option in terms of house prices; desire to be near family and friends or desire to live in a rural location. One participant felt he didn't live that far from his work and so moving closer did not seem sensible.

8.67. Home location was seen as much more important than other factors such as location and nature of the workplace and the associated commuting length. Given the importance placed on where they lived, relocating for work purposes was often not viewed favourably. Some participants felt strongly about this. One participant commented that:

" It's far more important to have a quality of life - things like that. I mean, quality of life starts from where you live." (female car commuter, Stirling).

"The work is the bit that you do in between times - to allow you to live there." (male car commuter, Stirling).

8.68. The significance of home location relative to employment was demonstrated by one participant who moved to an area he liked and then started looking for employment:

"…… that was the important thing, was getting a house sorted out, and then - you know - getting a job after." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.69. A further issue which prevented respondents relocating to be closer to work was that for some, jobs were not seen as 'permanent'.

"I don't know how anyone else feels but how permanent is your job anyway… It's not a job for life, so - commuting or travelling to work, or whatever - I've been with this job ten years, but that doesn't mean to say I'll be there until I retire………. I wouldn't contemplate moving house to be closer to a job, because as you said - 2, 3 years down the road you could be trying to get another job." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.70. In addition, some felt they had greater 'control' over home location relative to work because the 'choice' to work somewhere could be taken away (eg redundancy).

"To a certain extent you have a choice to work somewhere or not to work somewhere. At the same time, that choice can be taken away from you. You've got more control over where you live. You've got to control where you live you have the decision - I choose to live here. And right reason or wrong, that's what happens. And you can choose to apply for a job - you can be accepted by a job - can also choose right, okay - thanks, but no thanks." (female car commuter, Stirling)

8.71. Participants in the Stirling group felt that they were within reach of a number of employment opportunities in the central belt. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Perth and Glenrothes were viewed as being within acceptable commuter limits. If they lost their job it would be relatively easy to find an alternative within commuting distance of their current home.

"I mean, I can't really see it happening - as we've already said - because we're central belt, if the worst comes to the worst and faced with - doors tomorrow - off somewhere again - you know - wouldn't even think about moving house and then looking for a job. Same as I wouldn't think about them moving - you know - substantially - in their job - commuting as it were at weekend, or whatever - try and relocate the family - you know - I can't see it working that way. I like to stop in the confines of the bricks and mortar I have at the moment, and find a job within the local area." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.72. Two participants noted that they would consider moving away from their local area if the right job opportunity arose.

8.73. Other participants would consider moving home closer to work in the future but it would depend on factors such as whether or not they had enough money and whether or not their child was happy moving schools.

8.74. One Edinburgh participant would consider relocating her residence rather than changing her job to reduce the commute.

"If things got really bad I'd probably move house before I would move jobs." (female car commuter, Edinburgh)

Workplace location

Introduction

8.75. The following general themes relating to work location decisions emerged from each group and are discussed in detail below

• best/worst aspects of workplace location
• nature of employment
• changing employment

Best and worst aspects of workplace location

8.76. Participants were asked to consider the positive aspects of their workplace locations. Responses covered the following:

• the unlimited availability of free parking
• the convenience for those working in city centres of nearby shopping and places to eat at lunchtime
• friendly local people
• nice scenery in rural workplace locations
• commuting to the outskirts of a city instead of the centre was seen as an advantage by a couple of participants, as they avoid some of the congestion.

8.77. One participant commented that his workplace location was ideal with its combination of rural setting and good amenities:

"I like the fact that I can come out of the office and I've got grounds to walk round in the summer and fresh air and peace. It's quite quiet there and I think you get a lot better amenities as well because the bank have got space out there. They have built a leisure centre, a swimming pool, they have built shops out there, café bars, it's got all the amenities………… whereas a lot of my colleagues that are working in the centre of Edinburgh just are in an office and that's it you know and it's very crammed in. So I think you get a better standard of place to work." (male train commuter, Edinburgh)

8.78. Participants were also asked to consider the negative aspects of their workplace locations. Responses covered the following:

• lack of nearby facilities in relatively remote areas
• lack of (or limited) public transport provision to and from the workplace
• one participant disliked working near a factory due to the pollutants associated with it
• for one participant, a disadvantage of working on a privately owned industrial estate is that the roads are the last to be treated in the winter. It can be quite dangerous
• one participant worked in various locations within the city centre. She had mixed feelings towards this. She thought it might be nice to work in one location, but also likes the variety of different locations

8.79. One participant viewed the location of his workplace as not being important and saw it as:

"It's where I work. It's not something I think in terms of pluses or minuses - it's just where I work." (male car commuter, Stirling)

Nature of work

8.80. The nature of some participants work was highly specialised, making choice of workplace location limited, particularly for the high level salary expected by some:

"For me it's kind of part and parcel of the nature of my job that there are very few people doing my line work or doing the same kind of job………there's probably only a dozen or so places that I actually particularly want to work in……. so there's really not a lot of jobs in basically what I'm after and in what I do." (male car commuter, Dundee)

"In terms of why I work where I work.. it's really that there are job opportunities there that didn't exist where I came from. They don't exist in other parts of Scotland so that's what's drawn me to that particular place……..and I take that as part of the job - that's why I don't leave it - you know - I'd suffer - even if it was three hours journey away, I would still travel it, just to do that particular job. That was the reason I went there." (male car commuter, Stirling)

Changing employment

8.81. Many participants would not consider moving their job location to reduce the commute. Comments covered:

• travelling was not an important enough reason to think about changing
• the commute was not viewed as bad enough to affect employment decisions
• one participant commented that if he wanted to change jobs, then he might consider looking for one closer to home, but it wouldn't affect the overall decision to change employment
• lack of suitable job opportunities nearby

8.82. Other participants would be reluctant to leave their current workplace as it was a very secure job, or they found it really interesting and felt it important to have a job that they enjoyed overall:

"I'm happy with it just now, unless I choose to change my job or I probably won't decide to move somewhere else, but if I decide to change my job then perhaps I would get something closer to home, but that wouldn't be the first thing I was looking for. It would be nice, but it really wouldn't affect my choice." (female car commuter, Stirling)

"I mean, it's only - it's ten miles. It's not - you know - it's just basically a long straight road, it's not - you know - So no, it doesn't bother me. I'd be willing to travel maybe an hour in the morning to get to - if the job was right I would work in Edinburgh or anywhere - I'd be willing to spend an hour in the car to get there and get back. So I don't think I'd move. Not for the foreseeable future anyway." (male car commuter Stirling)

"The chances I would probably stay where I was but, I wouldn't take the job if I was to say one or the other." ( male car commuter, Stirling)

8.83. If an appropriate job came up nearby, many participants would consider a job change:

"It just depends on the job - I mean, you know - if I could get the same job nearer home - yeah, fine. But - you know - similar position. Similar kind of salary and environment then I certainly would." (male car commuter)

"At the drop of a hat. Yeah, definitely. It would save me a fortune in travel costs, which is kind of the nub of what we're discussing as well, isn't it. Yeah, definitely. No morals on that score [laughing]. Certainly." (male train commuter Edinburgh)

8.84. One participant had applied for jobs closer to home because her commute was becoming unbearable, especially during winter months.

8.85. One train commuter felt that if the journey experience got worse, she would not consider driving, but would change jobs to be closer to home:

"If the train system got worse and I don't really have the option. I don't think I would go back to driving all the time either so if the options started becoming less then I would consider having to change the job." (Female Train Commuter Glasgow)

Likelihood of continuing to commute over a long distance

8.86. In general, participants from elsewhere than Aberdeen felt that they would continue to be long distance commuters for the foreseeable future until something in their life changed. For example:

• health problems
• retirement
• work became intolerable
• unemployment
• if they could not drive or their car was taken away from them

"If you didn't have access to a car for whatever reason…….You would have to move, I think, because - purely and simply because the public transport side of things is atrocious -It's not workable. The planning you would require." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.87. Participants within the Aberdeen group planned to stop commuting in the near future. Reasons given include planning to work for from home on a permanent basis, planning to work offshore or nearing retirement.

8.88. Some of the focus group members could see themselves extending their commuting distance in the future. Reasons given included:

• wanting to continue living in a rural location (there will be a need to move further away to avoid all the new land developments)
• did not consider their current commuting length unreasonable
• if they changed employment, then it would be likely that they would need to travel further for a suitable job

"As I say - I'd probably be inclined - if things are going to change for me - chances are - going by the - you know - power of numbers. Got more chance of being Glasgow, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Dundee, Perth than Stirling………….more opportunities……a consequence would be a longer commute." (male car commuter, Stirling)

8.89. A combination of desire to have the 'family lifestyle' and no jobs at the 'door step' meant that one participant would continue to be a long distance commuter and would consider travelling even further :

"The chances are fairly high that I'll continue to have jobs that aren't particularly on my doorstep. And given that I don't really want to move unless it's a considerable move, then yeah, the answer would be true - still have a long distance commute, whether it be Dundee, Edinburgh or indeed any other city in Scotland, or indeed anywhere else……..it's just the fact that the whole family lifestyle that we have - very family orientated. I will just need to go and find a job wherever it happens to be." (male car commuter, Dundee)

Changes in the long distance commuting experience over time

8.90. When asked if their experience of commuting had changed over the years, most car commuters felt their commute had become worse over the years for the following reasons:

• most car commuters felt that their journey time had increased as traffic volumes had increased. In addition, the time that the peak travel time begins is changing as participants felt they had to leave earlier to avoid congestion. One participant commented that:

"………the changes over the previous 30 years had been drastic What I did not realise when we opted for that virtual car-hop, as we thought it was thirty years ago, was that it would turn into quite the sort of traumatic experience that it has become, on some occasions, because of the sheer volume of traffic." (female car commuter, Aberdeen)

• one participant felt that although the amount of traffic on her route to work had increased significantly over the years, the upgrading of her route from single to dual carriageway had led to shorter journey times
• one participant felt that changes to the road layout had made his commute worse over the years
• one participant thought there was an increase in the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road

"…….increasingly, the amount of cars on the road with one person in it. You know, sounds really silly as I'm one of them, anyway, there's more and more traffic and there's less and less cars with more than one person in it."(male car commuter, Stirling)

8.91. It was felt that the increase in city centre employment, high house prices in the city centre and more affordable housing available in rural locations were responsible for the increasing traffic volumes. The failure of transport planners to update the road network to account for these changes in travel patterns was thought to contribute to the problem.

"They are just building tons of developments everywhere and every time they build you think well that's another couple of hundred houses and people probably have two cars each to take the children to school and go to work. So the roads are just getting busier and busier and I mean I used to always be ok because I was out of the rush hour, but I think that the rush hour is starting earlier." (male car commuter, Glasgow)

"Because what's happening is more people are being pushed outward. As people are having children and they're trying to buy houses, they're having to move out, but the transport has not moved with that trend. It's like the powers that be are not really, they don't know that that's happened and they are about four or five years behind everybody else." (male train commuter, Edinburgh)

8.92. One participant who had been commuting into Edinburgh over the previous four years felt that her commuting time had not changed during that time.

8.93. All train users felt that the overall standard of the service had generally been improving over the years. Punctuality was seen as the main issue that had improved. One participant thought that the standard of rolling stock on the Fife Circle had improved and there are now more train carriages. However, one participant felt that one of the reasons for the perception that rail travel was improving might be because the car alternative is now much less attractive than it was.

8.94. There was frustration that public transport network is not 'keeping up' with where people are choosing to live.

"I think where the issue is that because of property prices a lot of people have been forced out into long distance travelling either because they have had to or they want to for a better lifestyle, but the public infrastructure has not been upgraded to cater for that." (male train commuter Edinburgh)

Future changes anticipated in commuting experience

8.95. Car commuters within the groups felt that their journey would continue to get worse due to increased congestion.

"I think it has been getting worse and if it continues to, then the area's already saturated and I think delays will get much longer, exponentially longer, I suspect and that's going to be a major problem ……..it will get more and more frustrating I think." (male car commuter, Glasgow)

8.96. One participant felt that Dundee does not have the same 'draw' as other employment centres, so traffic into Dundee may not increase as much as other areas.

8.97. One participant felt that the re-opening of the Airdrie-Bathgate rail line might reduce traffic volumes.

8.98. It was felt that building new roads and upgrading certain roads will entice people to live further away from their work as the travel times are reducing.

8.99. It was felt that increasing levels of car ownership will increase traffic volumes making the commute worse.

8.100. Some participants felt that the quality of the road surfaces would decrease over time as a result of increasing traffic and developments.

8.101. Some expected commuting to get worse as city centre house prices increased and housing remained more affordable in outlying areas.

"People are being pushed outwards. As people are having children and they're trying to buy houses they're having to move out." (male train commuter, Edinburgh)

"……..It will increase. The amount of people that are long distance commuting around Edinburgh is going to increase I would say not decrease because look at the amount of building that's going on in some of these places like Livingston and Dunfermline and so it goes on you know. The amount of property that's feeding people into the city is enormous, the building work." (female car commuter, Edinburgh)

Alternative options

8.102. The following general themes relating to possible alternatives to their current commute emerged from each of the groups and each of these points are discussed in detail below:

• temporary accommodation near work
• car sharing
• working from home
• public transport
• Park and Ride

Temporary accommodation near work

8.103. One participant tried having a 'crash-pad' in Glasgow City Centre where she would stay during the working week. At weekends, she would travel back to her home on the outskirts of Edinburgh. However, there had been practical difficulties associated with this and in the end it had proved unmanageable.

"A year after we moved we kept a flat in Glasgow and stayed, but we just never seemed to have the right thing in the right place it was always where we weren't. And it was just two places to clean………..Maybe I wasn't organised enough for it, but- In future would move my job rather than try the flat again." (female car commuter, Glasgow)

8.104. One participant worked at a number of locations throughout Scotland. Given the choice, he would rather stay in temporary accommodation rather than have to travel long distances from home.

"……well I don't like travelling so if I have the choice I will stay in digs yes because I feel like you're getting up and travelling an hour and half in the morning by the time you get to your work and welding or fitting or whatever you are doing and then you have got to drive home after that then it's just a bit too much sometimes. Sometimes you are seven days a week doing it. It takes a lot out of you doing that." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

Car sharing

8.105. A number of participants currently car shared or had done so in the past.

8.106. One participant car shared with his wife each day, as they worked in the same place. However, on occasions, one of them would have to travel home by public transport.

8.107. Another participant had car shared in the past for a number of years. He was able to pick his passenger up en-route. He thought this had worked well because they both worked in the same organisation and did the same kind of work.

8.108. One respondent frequently car shared because those participating all had the same start/finish time:

"In Dundee last year, there was four of us so it made sense to takes turns and I found that a lot better than driving every day. Sixty miles a journey. So we do it all the time. Well that's it yes we all leave at the same time and we all start at the same time so it makes sense yes sharing the driving." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.109. One respondent worked at an organisation which had a car pool arrangement which involved entering your name and details with a view to matching you with 'suitable sharers'. Priority parking was given to car pool participants. However, the respondent chose not to car share. His previous experience of the car pool had been unsatisfactory as:

"The guy I was car sharing with was on the same project as me and you would get in the car in the morning half a sleep and he was going like right issue number twenty three and it was just work, work, work. It was another two hours work each day discussing these projects in the car." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

8.110. Car sharing was not viewed as an attractive option for many participants. Reasons cited include:

• no one else who lives and works in the same area (especially for those working at small companies)
• company car means that others would not be covered under the insurance
• some respondents work flexible hours or have variable start/finish times. Car sharing is not compatible with this
• one respondent viewed car sharing as suitable only as a temporary basis (e.g when someone at work's car was in the garage, or Forth Rail Bridge shut)
• car sharing was perceived as 'too tying'. One respondent liked the freedom of not having to make plans round others ( e.g. visiting friends, going to cinema if she feels like it)
• car sharing could be possible for one participant, but prefers own space and appreciates own time, without having to make 'polite conversation' with work colleagues

Working from home

8.111. One participant occasionally works from home. This was helped by having a fairly understanding boss who believed that this was a productive way of working.

8.112. Many participants thought that occasionally working from home was an option as the technology was available to do this.

"I do from time to time but if I know I've got no visitors or I know I'm not going anywhere and I've got a lot of things that need doing then yes I can work from home. I've got Broadband I can connect into the office system. It's as fast as being in the office from that point of view. I design the things for a living so I should be able to do it." (male car commuter Glasgow)

8.113. Working from home would be a good option if concentration was required for a particular task.

8.114. One participant would love to work from home at least one day a week, although his employer would not allow this at the moment.

"You know, that could certainly make a big difference to me. And that's something that I'll be pursuing again - see if I can actually get - it would make a huge difference to me if - an average on day per week I didn't have to actually commute to Dundee. It would be great." (male car commuter Dundee)

8.115. There were a number of perceived disadvantages to working from home:

• additional distractionse.g. young family
• the potential for hindering career progression as there would be less visual presence
• lack of face-to-face contact that would result from working from home was discussed, particularly amongst people who had the responsibility for managing others .

"……I have worked from home in the past and I could work from home. Part of our contingency plan if there's a major incident and we can't get to work we can work from home because we've got phones and internet connection whatever, but my actual core job I could do from home, but the part regarding managing people because I'm a manager and I've got a team of seven people, I really need to be on site to do that side of it." (male train commuter Edinburgh)

• the importance of being able to interact with people was discussed both in relation to helping improve work standards through learning from others and the positive mental health benefits from not being alone all day
• particular types of employment do not lend themselves easily to working from home. (eg teacher, imaging specialist or midwife)

Public transport (car users mode choice)

8.116. Some car users felt committed to using their vehicles and would not consider public transport as an option. For others, there were currently no public transport options available to them between work and home.

"Because it's so convenient having a car. I would still sit in hour traffic jams and pay £4 a day to go over the bridge to have the convenience of the car." (male car commuter, Edinburgh)

"I can't see me ever not using the car because it's just not, to me it's just too much hassle and it takes too long." (female car commuter, Dundee)

"………there's no system that I can access and reliably get me to and from work in the kind of fashion that I wish to arrive. You know - not stressed out, not dirty and smelly from having stood next to a thousand other people in the same carriage. It just does not work for me on any kind of level whatsoever". (male car commuter, Dundee)

8.117. A number of car commuters in the groups used public transport on an occasional basis when it was convenient. For example, if there was a meeting in the city centre, or they wanted to go for a drink after work, then they would travel by train.

8.118. Car users discussed the reasons why they did not commute by public transport more often (if at all). Comments that frequently arose within groups are summarised below.

8.119. There was a general feeling that public transport was not tailored towards the long distance commuter. For a short commute within the city, then there is often a comprehensive, adequate bus services, however outside the city the equivalent does not exist.

8.120. The lack of direct public transport routes was viewed as a particular problem for many long distance commuters who did not work in the city centre. In addition, lack of interchange opportunities from rail to bus on the route to work prevented public transport from being an option for some. One women commented:

"Yes. I could come into the centre of the town because there's a train through Linlithgow every ten minutes, but then I'm stuck with an extra journey after it because there's no buses link up." (female car commuter Edinburgh)

8.121. A number of participants commented that they lived near a station and it would be feasible to get a train into the city centre, but the lack of transport choices between the city centre and their workplace prevented this from being an option.

8.122. Journey time by public transport was a major consideration. One participant commented that a journey that takes up to an hour by car could take as long as two and a half hours by bus.

8.123. Many participants thought that there were too many express trains passing straight through some of the smaller stations. It was felt that there should be more stopping services at 'commuter type stations' in the mornings (eg Dalgety Bay and South Gyle)

• overcrowding on trains was viewed as a problem and there was widespread frustration that there were not enough carriages per train. One participant commented that the overcrowding could be stressful and was dangerous
• train journeys too expensive relative to those by car
• public transport not comfortable (eg temperature poorly regulated)
• one participant was reluctant to use the train as they thought it unhealthy, as it increased their chances of being exposed to colds and flu
• one participant noted that he needed the car after he arrived at work for travel during the working day, the implication being that he could not use public transport
• there was a perception that public transport to work was not as good as it could be. Participants cited examples of cities in Britain and other countries where more comprehensive public transport systems (and more frequent, less crowded) operated ( e.g. Merseyside, Australia)
• some car commuters felt that public transport was not a practical option as they needed to carry heavy, bulky equipment ( e.g. golf clubs, computer). The car makes it easier to carry things

" My car - it's like I've got a spare pair of shoes, I've got an extra jacket, I've got - everything in my car." (female car commuter Dundee)

• for car users, lack of car parking at stations discouraged travel by train
• freedom provided by having a car was discussed e.g. if travelled by bus would be 'stranded' at the workplace during lunchtime
• one participant used to drive to the outskirts of town, leave the car all day and get ' a local bus pass to ferry me into the town and back out again' but availability of parking spaces at the new workplace meant driving there was the preferred option
• the travelling public added to the stress of using public transport in terms of such things as smell, use of bad language and the use of mobile phones
• poor quality of some buses especially the older vehicles
• poor frequency of evening bus services
• reliability of bus services was an issue for car users and the associated difficulty in predicting arrival times at work
• safety issuese.g. waiting at bus stations in the evenings, other bus users' behaviour etc

8.124. Some participants thought that a sharp rise in the petrol costs might affect their choice of mode of transport. Other participants might reconsider switching to public transport if either the cost of parking increased or the availability of parking decreased.

8.125. One participant had previously travelled to work by bus when she lived in Dundee. Since moving to a rural location on the outskirts she travelled by car as there is no direct bus service. She comments:

"You can get a bus so far, and then you'd have to either walk about seven mile, or walk to another - get another bus and wait for a bus, and it's just too much of a hassle, so you just take the car. But, having said that, there must be - well, more than a dozen - maybe even two dozen people that work in the same place as me …..And we all take cars." (female car commuter, Dundee)

8.126. One car commuter had been forced to use public transport after injuring his wrist and being unable to drive. The public transport journey had proved to be an 'absolute nightmare'. In addition, the participant had to rely on his wife to drive him to the station in the early mornings as there was no bus service. Bus services from the station to his place of work were infrequent .

"It was only for a period of a few weeks, but it kind of sort of gave us a sort of sharp awakening as to how much easier and convenient it is to jump in your car and driving from point to point as needs be. For me, public transport just does not work on any level whatsoever. Maybe it's just my circumstances - It's okay if you're on a main bus route, but if you're not -As soon as you deviate from that you're in trouble because it just becomes so monumental a task to do that." (male car commuter, Dundee)

Public transport (train-commuters mode choice)

8.127. Participants who currently travelled to work by train discussed their mode choice. The cost of commuting by train was raised by a number of participants. Some felt trains were too expensive. One participant was disappointed that he could not make use of discounted weekly/monthly tickets as he rarely worked at the same location five days a week.

8.128. One train user felt that for him, the overall cost of travelling by train was less than the equivalent car journey. He felt that when all the costs associated with car travel ( e.g. petrol, bridge tolls, congestion, the cost of buying a second car - road tax, insurance etc) were taken into account, economically it made sense to travel by train.

8.129. One participant did not think that the train commute was any cheaper than the car, but was more relaxing.

"I mean it's not any cheaper for me to take the train or to take the car. I do it just because it's easier. I think I worked out it's much the same in the long run, but it's just more relaxing to take the train in, you don't have to drive." (female train commuter, Glasgow)

8.130. One respondent had a direct rail service between work and home. If she had to change vehicles ( e.g. to another bus/train) then she would be less likely to travel by public transport.

8.131. One participant felt that stopping at too many stations makes the journey too long.

8.132. Generally, participants viewed the main alternative to the car commute would be train. Participants discussed the disadvantages of commuting by bus compared to train:

• more overcrowded (less space generally)
• slower (less direct or get caught up in congestion)
• buses more cramped (can get up and walk in a train)
• in buses you can get 'thrown about a bit', especially if going up/down stairs

Park and Ride

8.133. One car commuter would consider driving to a park and ride site and getting a bus into Glasgow city centre if there were facilities available.

"If I could get a bus. If I could drive somewhere to park the car to get the bus to come into Glasgow I would do that, but there's nowhere around you can actually do that ………..I would like a Park and Ride just at the side of the motorway that you can go in and get a bus. The buses are fine on the M8 they go just as fast as you can in the car. You could be sitting there reading a book instead of looking at the traffic." (female car commuter, Glasgow)

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