Commute times increasing

COMMUTING times are starting to creep up after falling back during the recession, a new study has shown.

Research by the TUC union revealed that men in their early 40s spend longest getting to and from work, at an average of more than 67 minutes a day.

Commute times for women peak in their late 20s at 54 minutes and then start to fall as they get older, said the report.

The average daily commute is almost five minutes longer than it was a decade ago at 54.6 minutes, with people spending an extra 4.5 days a year just getting to and from work, said the TUC.

General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Long commutes are not always practical for those doing the nursery and school run, which is why mums tend to work closer to home. This move often involves them taking a huge pay cut too.

"Cutting the commute needn't mean cutting pay too. New technologies such as super-fast broadband and Skype should mean more workers are able to change the way they work, or work from home occasionally.

"This could reduce at least some of their costly and miserable rush-hour journeys."

By Alan Jones, Press Association Industrial Correspondent