LONDON: Rush hour could be a thing of the past as commuters turn their backs on traditional working patterns in favour of more flexible and hybrid alternatives, according to the findings of a new UK study released on Thursday.
The poll conducted on behalf of vehicle subscription specialist Wagonex revealed most working age Brits want to work more flexibly in future, splitting their time between the office and working remotely.
This comes on the day the government reveals plans in its Good Work Plan for all employees to be able to request flexible working from the moment they start a new job.
And it follows hot-on-the-heels of an Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey that found 85% of those currently homeworking would seek a hybrid of home and office working in future.
But mass flexible working comes with a downside - predicting how, when and where commuters will travel will become more difficult than ever before.
This could lead to an end to the UK’s well established rush hours (6am-9am and 4pm to 6.30pm), with traffic congestion on roads and passenger surges on rail and bus services happening unexpectedly at different times of the day and on different times of the week.
“Commuters who drive to work may find they breeze into the office one day and then are stuck in tailbacks the next and those using public transport may be alone in carriages and on buses one day and packed in like sardines the next,” said Wagonex founder and CEO Toby Kernon.
Conducted by Yonder, the Wagonex survey polled 1,000 working-age Brits.
