RDA South Australia

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Regional RDAs

Resident workers - Method of travel to work - All industries

Within Regional RDAs, there is a lower proportion of resident All industries workers using public transport to get to work than the South Australia workforce.

Maximising access to employment is a key objective in any economic development strategy. Understanding the modes of transport Regional RDAs's local resident workers use (either within or outside the local area), informs decision-makers about the effectiveness of transport modes, routes and availability of local public transport.

There are a number of reasons why people use different Modes of Transport to get to work including:

  • The availability of affordable and effective public transport options between place of residence and place of work;
  • The number of motor vehicles available within a household; and
  • The travel distance to work, which for example, can allow people to walk or bicycle to their place of employment.

Method of Travel to Work data should be viewed in conjunction with resident place of work for a clearer picture of where working residents are employed.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 & 2021 – by method of travel

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Resident workers method of travel to work
Regional RDAs20212016Change
Main method of travelNumber%. South Australia%Number%. South Australia%2016 - 2021
Car, as driver151,37666.764.4139,73566.666.0+11,641
Car, as passenger9,9604.44.49,4204.54.6+540
Train1780.11.09150.41.9-737
Bus2,8871.33.83,0341.44.7-147
Ferry1100.00.0350.00.0+75
Tram650.00.460.00.4+59
Truck1,6990.70.51,7740.80.6-75
Motorbike/Motor scooter7900.30.48440.40.5-54
Bicycle8030.40.98980.41.0-95
Taxi/Other3500.20.32160.10.2+134
Other - multiple methods1,6990.70.63,1201.51.5-1,421
Walked only8,7083.82.58,7344.22.8-26
Worked at home21,6939.69.614,5016.94.4+7,192
Did not go to work24,74210.910.824,15711.510.7+585
Not stated1,8060.80.52,4471.20.9-641
Total 226,866100.0100.0209,836100.0100.0+17,030

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions)

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
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Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 3,130 resident workers who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in Regional RDAs, compared with 163,825 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).

Analysis of the method of travel to work of the resident workers in Regional RDAs shows that 1.4% used public transport, while 72.2% used a private vehicle, compared with 5.3% and 69.6% respectively in South Australia.

The major differences between the method of travel to work of the resident workers in Regional RDAs and the South Australia workforce were:

  • A smaller percentage of resident workers who travelled by bus (1.3% compared to 3.8%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers who travelled by car, as driver (66.7% compared to 64.4%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers who walked only (3.8% compared to 2.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of resident workers who travelled by train (0.1% compared to 1.0%)

Emerging groups

The largest changes in the method of travel to work of the resident workers in Regional RDAs between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • Car, as driver (+11,641 resident workers)
  • Worked at home (+7,192 resident workers)
  • Other - multiple methods (-1,421 resident workers)
  • Train (-737 resident workers)

RDA South Australia

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