Walk 500 miles? More like 2…Brits are prepared to walk on average 2 miles to see friends and family
New research by e-scooter rental brand Dott reveals that the ways we’ve been travelling over the pandemic have completely changed…but we’d still only walk just over 2 miles to see loved ones…
Walking wins
The pandemic has encouraged many of us to get outside, with over a third of Brits (35%) agreeing that travelling in the fresh air is preferable to public transport – almost half of us (42%) are walking more than ever before.
And it seems that we’re prepared to put our best foot forward to see our friends and family…but only if they live within a 2 mile radius (avg. 2.05 miles). It will also come as little surprise that Brits are prepared to walk over a mile (avg. 1.35 miles) to go to the pub!
Ironically, the shortest distance we’re willing to walk is to the gym – averaging just over a mile! (1.2 miles)
Less trust in transport
In fact, research has shown that a quarter of Brits have reduced their travel by up to 90% since the start of the pandemic with nearly half (42%) of people admitting to have actively avoided public transport due to COVID-19. No surprise, when nearly a third (31%) admit to feeling less safe on public transport since the pandemic started and sanctions were imposed.
Typically, Londoners seem to trust public transport least, with 35% feeling unsafe on city transport – the highest number of any region across the UK.
Safety and sustainability on the mind
With more of us spending time walking, our reignited love of open-air travel has seen an upturn in consideration of e-scooters and other micro mobility and sustainable transport systems that involve solo riders.
With green travel on the up, nearly a third of Brits (31%) admitted that they’re drawn to the fact that e-scooters are a sustainable form of transportation and 36% admitted they’d be encouraged to use them as they create less emissions than other forms of transport.
Almost half of the people surveyed (44%) agreed that e-scooters were a great alternative to public transport, with 32% of Brits being drawn to them to avoid crowds that typically arise during commuter hours.
Duncan Robertson , spokesperson from Dott commented “The pandemic has had a profound impact on how we move around, prioritising fresh air and solo travel. With people feeling more disconnected by distance than ever before, and our walking radius’ shrinking, it’s important that people keep moving around. With e-scooters already popping up around the UK, it’s a great sustainable, safe and short-distance alternative to other forms of transport – there’s no difficulty with social distancing on a scooter, after all!”
Living local
As we enter into the next period of tiered restrictions, Brits continue to feel trapped within their local area (21%), with nearly a third (32%) saying they feel nervous about venturing too far.
And it seems like distance does keep us apart, with one in five feeling less connected to friends that live further afield.
Rory Reid, ex Top Gear presenter and transport expert commented “Safety and sustainability seem to be at the top of the agenda for Brits when it comes to transport. No surprise, when people are keen to spend more time in the open air and avoid crowds. So I see a very bright future for alternative micro-mobility options like Dott’s e-scooters and e-bikes to help people move around their city in ways that suit their needs today, whilst being really enjoyable to ride. It’s definitely a part of the transport industry for us to keep an eye on!”
Dott currently operates over 30,000 e-scooters in 15 top cities, across Belgium, France, Germany, Italy & Poland, with a mission to provide clean rides for everyone. Dott has been carbon neutral since day one, and is constantly striving to lower its carbon footprint, reducing it by 56% in 2020.
