It is estimated that 7.4 million people commute less than 20km to work. That is approximately 73% of the employed population! Of course, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Commutes are not just about distance. The amount of traffic is a huge factor in commute time. For example, a 5km commute in a city can take as long as an hour and a half while a 20km rural commute can take twenty minutes or less.
Research suggests the average commute is just 16 minutes. But, your perception of reasonable driving time will be influenced by several factors:
- Your Commuting Experience
If you have always drove for an hour then you are likely to feel that an hour commute is reasonable. You may even be prepared to commute for slightly longer. Of course, if your average commute has always been ten minutes then the idea of commuting for thirty minutes will probably seem like a nightmare.
- Where You Live
If you live in the city you are probably used to having traffic and taking a long time to get a short distance. In this instance, longer commutes are likely to be acceptable to you. But, if you live rurally you are probably used to dealing with quieter roads and the commute is relatively short.
Of course, if you enjoy the commute the time spent commuting becomes less relevant. This is generally more likely if you live rurally as the clearer roads will make it a pleasure to drive or ride to your workplace.
- The Job
The more you enjoy your job the easier it will be to handle a longer commute and to accept this as a reasonable drive. Job satisfaction plays a large part in job acceptance and what you think of your commute.
But, you should also consider the payment you are getting, especially if you are changing jobs. Factor the commute time into your working day and apportion your wage across the entire time. This will give you a true hourly rate and may make you think twice about changing your job and your drive
Reducing Commute Time
Short of changing your job the easiest way to reduce your drive time is to invest in a motorcycle. You will find a great selection of KTM bikes in Sydney that don’t just do the ride, they can be a lot of fun at the weekends as well.
If this isn’t an option then you may need to look at other forms of public transport to see if they can get you to work faster.
It is worth noting that public transport may not be faster but it may give you the opportunity to be productive, potentially shortening the time you need to spend at work. This is worth factoring into your decision.
Of course, you shouldn’t forget that riding a motorcycle is exhilarating, it is hard to worry about how long the ride is when you are enjoying it so much.
