§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has assessed the level of dependence of people living in rural areas on the use of(a) the car and (b) public transport. [99900]
§ Mr. HillThe National Travel Survey is used to assess the travel patterns of people living in rural areas. In 1996–98, 69 per cent. of journeys by people living in rural areas were by car, and 4 per cent. by public transport. Bus is the most widely used public transport alternative to the car, 59 per cent. of rural households lived within 13 minutes walk of a bus service with a frequency of at least once an hour.