Reducing environmental impact of transport by changing transport mode choices in different income and family groups

Abstract

In this paper, we analyse if it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of travel by changing transport mode choices by those who use car a lot. The research questions are: 1) How much do people in different family and income groups travel with different modes? and 2) How much would the total number of car trips decrease if the amount of car trips was limited among the people who make at least four car trips a day and these trips were assumed to be made using a sustainable mode of transport? The analyses are based on Finnish National Travel Survey conducted in 2016. The respondents are divided into 15 groups based on their household income and family status. The results indicate that people living in higher income households travel more with car, but they are also found to recognise that an alternative transport mode for a car trip is available more often than people living in lower income households. This suggests that people living in lower income households use car more often for only mandatory trips. According to three scenarios created, there is a potential of 25 percent to reduce car trips by making changes in everyday travel.