Census data reveals transport habits of Mayo residents

Mayo people continue to be largely dependent on cars and buses to get to work and school, new statistics have revealed.

Nearly 85% of commuters in Mayo travel to work in a car or van, according to figures from the 2022 Census, while 80% of children travel to school by car or bus. 

Some 51,884 workers in the county were asked about their commute in the 2022 Census. Of that total, 35,450 (68%) travelled to work as the driver of a motor car while a further 2,221 (4%) travelled as a passenger in a car. Of the 50,123 workers surveyed in the 2016 Census, 34,389 (68%) travelled to work in a car as a driver or passenger.

In the latest Census, some 5,836 (11%) used a van to travel to work while 474 people or just under 1% of those surveyed drove to work in a lorry. Some 75 people commuted to work in Mayo on a motorbike or scooter.

In the 2016 Census, 5,298 travelled in a van, 395 drove in a lorry and 71 on a motorbike or scooter.

The 2022 Census recorded only 91 people travelling to work on the train while a further 445 travelled on a bus, minibus or coach. Less than 1% of workers commuted to work on a bicycle, about 437 people, while 3,848 workers (7%) walked to work in Mayo.

The remaining 3,007 people did not state their mode of transport in their commute. A total of 5,184 people said they work mainly from home in the most recent Census.

In the 2016 Census, 67 people travelled to work in Mayo using the train while 333 took a bus, minibus or coach. Some 389 people cycled to work and 3,828 walked to work. A total of 3,128 said they mainly worked from home in 2016.

Some 24,995 children aged between five and 18 were surveyed, with 15,002 (just over 60%) travelling to school by car and a further 5,308 (20%) said they took a bus, minibus or coach to school. Just 259 said they cycled to school while 2,707 walked, giving a total of 2,966 (11%).

The average commute time is up slightly since 2016. It now takes the Mayo worker an average of 25 minutes to get to work, compared to 23 minutes in the 2016 Census. Some 1,371 commuters have journeys to work that last over an hour and a half according to the statistics.

The average distance to the workplace for Mayo workers is 21.9 kilometres.

The town whose residents have the longest average travelling time to get to work is Ballinrobe, where it takes 27 minutes for locals to travel to work, closely followed by Claremorris which recorded an average time of just under 27 minutes.

It takes an average of 21 minutes for workers living in Ballyhaunis to travel to work while it takes an average of between 19 and 20 minutes for workers living in Westport, Ballina and Castlebar to commute.

Most workers in Mayo leave the house from 8am to 8.30am with 8,694 stating they leave the house in this period. Some 4,385 early risers leave the house before 6.30am.