A survey showed differences in travel behaviour between men and women

Until 2019, the Czech Republic lacked a general, gender selected data, which could help to analyse transport with regard to how women and men behave, on national level. The aim of a project “Transport behaviour of women in numbers” is to provide these data. The results are based on answers obtained from 8,900 Czech respondents older than 18 years (4,336 men and 4,564 women).

The traditional division of roles in the society is especially visible when it comes to purpose of journeys. The biggest difference between women and men can be seen for journeys to work and business trips, which are predominantly done by men. By contrast, women, typically of age between 30 and 49 years, perform journeys to accompany or take care of a person or to do regular shopping. A multimodality principle or so-called chain-journeys, i.e. running more errands in one journey, are more typical for women.

Transport planning usually does not take into account specific needs of women. In a respondent group that expressed a low level of satisfaction with means allowing them to travel anywhere anytime (in total 16 %), nearly two thirds were women (64 %). The level of satisfaction with transport services is also influenced by the size of a place of residence, missing connections during the day or poor access to stations. People, who use their car less often, below-average, do not have a driving licence or are not active drivers, are also less satisfied.

Despite relatively dense network of public transport, we can identify factors showing car dependency, which usually leads to transport deprivation especially in relation to women. More often, men have a driving licence and are active drivers. The most significant gender differences are apparent in the oldest age group , because higher age leads to a decrease in number of female drivers. In the oldest age group (71+), only 24 % of women are active drivers compared to 78 % of men. However, we can see differences in owning a driving licence and being an active driver in all age groups. The highest number of active female drivers (60 %) is in the age group of 30 – 49 years. In comparison, in the same group, there is 82 % of active male drivers.

A vast majority of people, who have a driving licence and are active drivers, also have a car for personal use. A sudden loss of the possibility to use a car would deteriorate their transport options. This was confirmed by 69 % of active drivers.

Even though both men and women consider owning a car as an integral part of life in a modern society, women are more likely to support issues of sustainable transport, such as building public spaces without cars, a need to solve negative impacts of motoring on the environment or an idea to reduce use of car. Women are more sensible to alternative and sustainable mobility and see how extensive road transport affects the environment. Women are also more used to walking than men. While women stated they walk in average 131 minutes per day, men indicated 113 minutes. This probably stems from the need to accompany children or do regular shopping.

The survey confirmed that feeling of security, accessibility and a high-quality transport services are of a key importance, especially for women. In general, this tendency grows with higher age. Also, pregnant women, parents with small children, elderly people and carers regardless of sex are more sensible.

At the time of the data collection, the Czech Republic was going through the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of transport behaviour, the lockdown situation had an impact on approx. half of respondents. The survey shows that mainly women changed their transport behaviour. The survey “Transport behaviour of women in numbers” builds on a study “Women in transport”, which was prepared by the Transport Research Centre in 2019. Both studies were carried out thanks to the OPE Implementation of the government strategy for gender equality and related activities of the Ministry of Transport. One of the main goals was to focus on specific needs of citizens in Ministry’s strategic documents. In this regards, the survey brought first data, which could be taken into consideration during preparation of transport plans in the Czech Republic.

The current trends, which are being pushed forward in many European cities and villages (e.g. Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, London and other smaller cities and villages), are stemming from sustainable development principles and so called gender planning of transport services, infrastructure and territorial planning. This fair approach have the potential to eliminate barriers that are limiting to entire groups of citizens (including children, elderly persons, women, carers and persons with reduced mobility, orientation and communication) even in areas, which do not have to be discriminatory at a first sight, increase their economic activity, reasonably allocate resources and overall improve living conditions.