'Fewer long commutes as more people work at home'

THE number of London commuters travelling for at least an hour to get to and from work fell by more than 100,000 in the last year, a survey claimed today.

Research by the TUC shows the number of people commuting for at least an hour in total by rail, Tube, bus, car or cycle fell by 7.2 per cent, or 101,000, to 1.24 million. It believes the decline is down to people working away from the office and flexi-time.

However, Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said the statistics showed one in five employees still spent more than an hour a day commuting. He said: "In the UK we work some of the longest hours in Europe and on top of that we still have to commute an average of 54 minutes a day. This adds up to a very stressful working week for millions of workers across the UK."

He also warned employers against reducing flexi-time because of the current financial problems.

The survey which covers the financial year to April 2007 was commissioned by the TUC to launch coalition Work Wise UK's "Commute Smart" week.