National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)
Date Published: 17th October 2022
Summary:
In 2021, the National Statistics Office in collaboration with Transport Malta (TM) launched the fourth National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). This was the first time that the NHTS results were calibrated and grossed up to corresponding population levels residing in private households, using data from the preliminary results of the Census of Population and Housing 2021, together with other relevant administrative data sources. This was crucial to solidify analysis by region, sex and age groups; also framing the outcomes of NHTS in the right context.
This survey, carried out during the last quarter of 2021, targeted a random sample of private households in Malta and Gozo. Travel patterns of all sampled household members over the age of 14 years were recorded. As anticipated, the collection of data required extensive cooperation with TM and responding households.
Salient Points of Publication:
- The Survey revolved around a specific Travel Day which was selected to be Wednesday 17 of November 2021:
- The total number of persons over the age of 14 who travelled amounted to 255,232, representing a share of 57.7 per cent, with a total of 638,456 trips;
- The time bracket during which most trips started was between 06:00 and 09:00 with a total of 218,360 trips;
- The most common trip purpose was that of commuting (42.2 per cent), followed by trips whose purpose was going to or escorting someone to a place of education (11.6 per cent) and shopping (9.3 per cent);
- Education and escort education trips were highest in L-Imsida with 10,810 trips;
- Birkirkara was the top destination for work related trips registering 12,186 trips;
- Il-Mosta was the top locality for shopping and personal errand trips with 7,682 trips;
- For going home trip purpose, Il-Mosta was also the locality that registered the most trips with 8,780 trips;
- The private vehicle was the most used means of transport at 84.3 per cent of all trips, followed by walking (7.0 per cent) and bus (5.2 per cent);
- Persons who made use of a private vehicle amounted to 220,532, the majority of whom were males (57.1 per cent) and were in the 25-44 age bracket (45.1 per cent);
- The number of bus users was of 20,465 who were predominantly females (51.2 per cent) and 40.5 per cent were of 15 to 24 years of age.
- The main concern of persons residing in districts in the Malta region on public transport is mainly that buses are not punctual.
- The top concern of persons residing in Gozo and Comino district was that a bus takes too long to reach its destination.
- The passenger car was the main mode of transport used prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic while the use of public transport decreased during the pandemic.
