Article: Public transport users vote with feet

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Public transport users vote with feet

Public transport users vote with feet
CLAY LUCAS
March 12, 2010

Public transport users get a daily average of 41 minutes physical exercise, compared with an average of eight minutes for those who only drive, according to an analysis of Victorian travel data.

Research completed by the Bus Association of Victoria has found that those who use public transport in Melbourne are likely to get their recommended daily dose of physical activity as a ''side effect'' of their travel.

Exercise guidelines produced by the federal government recommend that adults spend at least 30 minutes a day walking, cycling or doing another activity that increases their heart rate.

An Access Economics report prepared for Diabetes Australia estimated the total economic cost of obesity in Australia was about $58 billion in 2008.

A map produced as part of the Bus Association's study also indicates how much people who live in each of Melbourne's council areas either walk or cycle. It shows that those in Melbourne's inner areas, which in most cases have easier access to public transport, get much more exercise as part of their daily travel routine than those who live in outer Melbourne.

Bus Association policy manager Chris Loader said the study showed that improving public transport services was crucial. ''The research demonstrates that it brings significant public health benefits,'' he said. ''We need better public transport in Melbourne's middle and outer suburbs.''

The Heart Foundation's chief executive, Kathy Bell, said the survey highlighted the need for more outer-suburban transport services, because one impact would be improved health.

''People in Melbourne's growing outer suburban areas are missing out on satisfactory levels of public transport services and also on the health benefits of walking and cycling that are associated with regular public transport use,'' she said.

The study's figures are derived from the state government's Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity, released last year. It surveyed 43,800 people in households in Melbourne and regional Victoria. The Bus Association analysis compared public transport users with those who used a vehicle to get around.