More than half of UK workers are re-thinking their travel arrangements for 2017 as widely reported train faults, delays and rising prices have created a negative impact on commuters this past year.
With the TUC estimating the average daily commute takes anywhere from 55 to 90 minutes, Regus, the flexible working solutions provider, found as a result of its survey of 1,700 professionals that 58 per cent are looking to ‘work remotely in order to improve their travel schedule’.
Richard Morris, UK CEO at Regus, believes this is leading commuters to question the logic of traditional working practices: “The commute has rarely been a joyful experience but 2016 seems to have been particularly challenging for vast numbers of workers. Train problems have been well documented but the situation for those driving to and from the office is equally frustrating.
“The survey tells us that workers are no longer willing to accept the stress and expense of the commute and are looking at flexible working solutions that enable them to gain this time back, work nearer to home and enhance productivity.
“Whilst working flexibly won’t be a fit for every type of job there are millions of people across the UK for whom this more agile approach to the working day makes perfect sense. With over half of all workers thinking this way, 2017 looks set to herald the beginning of the end for the out-dated, costly and time-consuming journey to one fixed place of work.”
The cost of commuting is also set to rise with the announcement that train fares will increase by an average of 2.3 per cent from January 2017.
