Two-Wheelers Lead Workplace Commutes in India, Average Monthly Travel Cost Rs 785 per Worker: NSO Survey

Two-wheelers are the most common mode of transport for workers commuting to fixed workplaces in India, accounting for 42.6 per cent of such trips, while the average monthly expenditure on workplace commuting stands at Rs 785 per worker, according to a National Statistics Office (NSO) survey.

The survey found a significant rural-urban difference in commuting costs. Workers in urban areas spend an average Rs 1,044 per month on travel to fixed workplaces, compared with Rs 612 among their rural counterparts.

Travel times remain relatively short for a large majority of workers and students. About 83.4 per cent of workers reach their fixed workplaces in less than 30 minutes, while 87.6 per cent of students reach their educational institutions within the same time.

Around 57.6 per cent of workers travel more than 1 km to their workplace. Overall, 54.5 per cent of rural workers and 64.1 per cent of urban workers undertake within-travel-day trips to fixed or non-fixed workplaces.

The survey showed that average travel times in states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are around 20–23 minutes, while some parts of southern India record longer commuting times. North-eastern states, including Assam and neighbouring states, report considerably shorter travel times of around 15–19 minutes.

There is also a notable gender gap in short-distance daily work trips. Nearly 61.9 per cent of male workers undertake daily work trips of less than 1 km, compared with 41.9 per cent of female workers nationwide.

Public rail-based transport accounts for 5 per cent of urban worker commutes nationally, with monorail, metro, suburban rail and tram usage particularly high in Maharashtra at 20.7 per cent, followed by West Bengal at 16.5 per cent and Delhi at 14.4 per cent.

Among students aged six years and above, nearly two-thirds undertake within-travel-day trips of at least 1 km to attend their basic course educational institutions — 65.6 per cent in rural areas and 68.1 per cent in urban areas.

Students aged 15–29 have the highest participation in regular educational trips, at 79.1 per cent in rural India and 73.3 per cent in urban India.

Autorickshaws account for 10.5 per cent of student commutes overall, rising to 14.4 per cent in urban areas. Two-wheelers account for 6.7 per cent of student commutes nationally and 11.5 per cent in urban areas.