Conclusions (Transport, State of the South West 2011)

5.8.1 The South West is a large region with a dispersed population. Historically, spend on transport in the region has taken up a larger proportion of household expenditure than the English average, although the latest data shows the percentage to be the same in both the region and in England. Expenditure on motoring remains higher in the South West, however.

5.8.2 Transport and communications, like many aspects of life in the region, show a strong east to west trend, from the generally accessible east, closer to the national core, to the more remote and sparsely populated west.

5.8.3 There is a strong reliance upon the private car, with some 68% of all trips being made by motor vehicle.

5.8.4 In comparison to other regions the use of buses and their availability is low. Rail patronage however, continues to increase.

5.8.5 Traffic volumes on motorways have increased significantly since 2001, although a slight reduction in motorway usage has been observed in the last year. Traffic on A-roads has fluctuated minimally, showing stabilisation since 2001.

5.8.6 The roads in the South West are amongst the safest in England and safety continues to improve, albeit at a slower rate than the national average.

5.8.7 An increasing number of passengers are using region's airports with numbers doubling between 2002 and 2008. However, the data shows a tailing off of this trend in the last year. This has been observed across other regions and England as a whole, and may well be owing to economic conditions, and changes in holiday patterns. See also,11 'Culture'.

5.8.8 Despite annual fluctuations, the amount of freight being transported by road in the South West increased between 1997 and 2007 at a similar rate to that of England. However, the tonnage fell considerably between 2007 and
2009.