The number of people choosing to walk or cycle has fallen from levels observed during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest report on travel behaviour from the Central Statistics Office. In addition, travel by public transport remains lower than pre-Covid levels, while car journeys continue to be the most popular mode of travel, according to the latest figures. The Travel Behaviour Trends 2024 report published on Thursday is the first survey on travel behaviour carried out by the CSO since the pandemic.It found the percentage of trips where the main mode of travel was walking decreased from 16.9 per cent of all trips in 2021 to 13.6 per cent of trips in 2024. The figure recorded for walking trips in 2024 was similar to the percentage, at 13.5, recorded in 2019. Of journeys taken by men, 15.1 per cent were by foot, compared with 12.1 per cent of trips taken by women.The number of people choosing to cycle decreased slightly in 2024, with 2 per cent of all journeys made by bicycle, compared with 2.2 per cent in 2021 and 1.5 per cent in 2019.Travel by public transport also remained lower than pre-Covid levels. Travel by bus accounted for 4.1 per cent of journeys in 2024, a marginal decrease on the 2021 usage of 4.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent in 2019.Some 73.9 per cent of all trips were made by private car in 2024, returning to pre-Covid levels.This CSO report is the first of three releases on the results of the National Travel Survey, which was carried out in the last four months of 2024.In a commentary, statistician Maureen Delamere, with the CSO’s Social Analysis and Modules Division, said 78.6 per cent of respondents had taken a trip on the day for which they provided information on their travel pattern. “Of those who did not take any trip on the travel reference day, some were working from home, while most said they were fully occupied with home duties or had no need or wish to travel outside the home,” Delamere said.