For persons 18 years and over at an overall level, almost one quarter (24.7%) of journeys were for shopping, an increase of over three percentage points on 2019. There was little difference in work-related journeys between 2021 and 2019 - almost one quarter (23.8%) of journeys in 2021 were work related journeys, a marginal increase from the same period in 2019 (23.6%). A further one fifth (20.7%) of journeys were companion/escort journeys, up marginally from 2019 (20.0%). See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.

During the survey data collection period, restrictions on house gatherings remained in place albeit reduced to some degree. Only one in sixteen (6.4%) journeys were visits to friends or family, down four percentage points on the same period in 2019 (10.4%). See Table 3.1.

Similarly, although gyms, leisure centres, cinemas, theatres, etc. had reopened at this time, many restrictions still remained in place such as maximum numbers allowed to attend at one time. Also, although sports events had recommenced, restrictions on the timing and allowed capacity at such events remained in place. Less than one in twelve (7.8%) journeys were for the purpose of entertainment/leisure/ sports, compared with 9.3% in 2019.  See Table 3.1.

Females were nearly twice as likely as males to make a journey for accompanying another person – 26.1% of females (up from 24.7% in 2019) compared with 15.3% of males. Companion/escort journeys are journeys where the purpose of the respondent’s journey is to collect/escort somebody else. Examples include collecting or escorting somebody to their place of education, collecting or escorting somebody to a childcare facility, etc.  See Table 3.1.

At an overall level, as outlined above, visits to friends or family decreased in 2021. One in fourteen (7.1%) journeys by females were for visiting family or friends, compared with 5.7% of journeys carried out by males for this purpose. Nearly one in ten (9.5%) of journeys made by males were for entertainment, leisure, or sports purposes, compared with one in sixteen (6.2%) % of journeys taken by females. See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.

In 2021, over one third (33.7%) of work-related journeys were journeys of 8 kilometres or more, while one in six (16.6%) of such longer journeys were for shopping. Shorter shopping trips of less than two kilometres accounted for over one third (34.9%) of journeys of less than two kilometres. Over one in five (21.4%) journeys of less than two kilometres were companion/escort journeys. See Table 3.2 and Figure 3.2.

At an overall level, in 2021, six in ten (59.3%) journeys were short in duration and took 15 minutes or less. Nearly half of work-related journeys are 15 mins or less, while a further 27% took between quarter of an hour and half an hour in duration. Only one in sixteen (6.2%) took more than an hour. See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.3.

Shopping trips were largely short in duration. The vast majority (93.2%) of all journeys for the purpose of shopping took half an hour or less to travel. Nearly three quarters (74.3%) of these shopping trips took 15 minutes or less to travel, while a further 18.9% took between quarter of an hour and half an hour in duration. See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.3.