Yahoo Finance More than 60% back in the workplace, UK traffic figures suggest
The proportion of people travelling into their place of work in the UK has risen above 60% for the first time since the start of lockdown, official figures show.
Office for National Statistics figures suggest the government’s call for people to return to the workplace has increasingly being acted upon, with 62% commuting last week, the highest figure since the ONS started measuring the impact of coronavirus in March.
The level of all vehicle traffic on Britain’s roads on Monday was just 3% below normal, pre-pandemic levels, while the number of vans and other light commercial vehicles was 5% higher than this time last year.
Bus journeys outside London also reached a new post-pandemic peak on Monday although journeys were still 42% down on the same period last year, according to the daily figures from the Department for Transport.
The ONS highlighted London traffic camera data that showed last weeks total count of cars, cyclists and pedestrians was about 5% above the average in March before lockdown.
A survey published on Thursday by the West Yorkshire combined authority, including Leeds, York and Bradford, found an increasing number of people had no concerns about using public transport – 34% compared with 24% two months ago – while only 35% were now working from home, down from 47%.
The ONS found more adults (74%) were now out shopping for essentials than at any point since June but that retail footfall remained low overall. The New West End company, which represents 600 businesses in prime leisure and shopping streets in central London, said footfall was down 56% on last year. The continued absence of international visitors meant spending per head remained lower, it added.
