As the year comes to a close, Moovit, the #1 commuter app which has guided 1.5 billion users in 3,500 cities across 112 countries, unveils its end of year 2024 Global Public Transport Report. The report, composed of big data analysed from tens of millions of trip requests performed by Moovit app users, coupled with user research in 50 cities across 17 countries, portrays a fascinating picture of how people travel across cities using public transport, with key insights into transport network efficiency and accessibility. 

Key report metrics and London findings include:

Commute Time: The average time it takes during a single journey

• London commutes average 50 minutes = to 1 year, 5 months spent riding transport during a lifetime
  • Mexico City reigns for longest commute amongst all cities— 67 minutes — equal to 1 year and 10 months
• Comparably, New York comes in at 51 minutes, and Rome with 54 minutes
• 66% of London transport passengers enjoy journeys less than 30 minutes long
• The world’s shortest commutes are enjoyed in Venice (42 minutes)

Wait Time: Average time spent waiting at stations, per journey 

• London passengers spend 13 minutes, on average, waiting for their line to arrive, one minute less than New Yorkers
  • Positively, 69% of Londoners 5 minutes or less for their line to arrive
• Paris passengers have the shortest wait time in the report — 10 minutes, with 65% waiting 5 minutes or less

Transfers: Average number of transfers required for passengers to reach their destination

• While 33% of Londoners get where their destination using one line, 12% use three or more times per journey
  • 19% of New Yorkers use 3 or more lines
  • A whopping 31% of Parisians use 3 or more lines

Improvement Factors: What passengers say would encourage them to use mass transport more often

• The biggest issue London transport commuters that, if fixed, would encourage them to use public transport more often: 
  • Higher frequency of vehicles — 28%
  • Lower cost fares — 24%
  • Accurate and reliable arrival times — 24%

Payment Preferences: How passengers prefer to pay for their transport journeys

• Despite digital payment options on the rise, 38% of passengers in London most prefer to pay using a transport card
  • Followed by 28% prefer using a credit or debit, and 
  • 14% prefer paying by cash

“As cities and towns continue to grow and evolve, understanding the daily experiences of transit riders is crucial to improving the future of mobility,” said Ziv Kabaretti, Moovit’s VP Product. “The Moovit 2024 Global Public Transport Report not only highlights the challenges that remain, but also shows the positive strides being made around the world to make commuting more convenient, efficient, and accessible.”

Compared to other global cities:

• Mexico City reigns for longest commute — 57 minutes — equal to 1 year and 10 months spent riding public transportation in a lifetime
• The world’s shortest commutes are in Venice — 42 minutes — equal to 1 year, 5 months
• New York (51 minutes) and London (50 minutes) have similar commute times
• Los Angeles and Paris both share an average of 47 minute commutes
• Paris transit riders have the shortest wait time among all cities — 10 minutes, with 65% waiting 5 minutes or less

The 2024 Global Public Transport Report can be viewed here.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Due to the extensive coverage offered by Moovit the named cities covered in Moovit’s report also include the region immediately surrounding that city.