The Pautas de movilidad espacial de la juventud vasca survey (guidelines to the spatial mobility of basque youth, within the series Basque Youth Trends 2007) conducted by the Basque Youth Observatory includes, among other statistics, the rate of use of motorized transport among youth. This rate indicates that 38.5% own a car, 5% use a means of transport other than a car or motorbike, 2.4% own a motorbike and, lastly, over half do not own their own means of transport (54.1%).

60.2% of young people are in possession of a driving licence, 65.8% of whom have their own means of transportation. 95.5% of these have their own car.

From Mondays to Fridays

The most common way of getting around among young people from 15 to 29 years of age is on foot (88.7%), and they walk an average 3.3 kilometres a day. Likewise, around half of young people use public transport (51.5%) as opposed to the car (48.1%). And if we turn our attention to the means of transport used to cover the greatest number of kilometres travelled, the figures are 32.4 km for the car followed by 27.1 km for public transport.

57.1% of Basque youth claim that the journeys they make are due to reasons of study. (To a lesser extent, they travel to go to work (37.5%). Despite the fact that fewer young people travel for reasons of work, those who do cover more kilometres than the rest (the average number of kilometres travelled in order to go to work is 34.3 km and 25.8 km for reasons of study).
If we analyze this figure according to gender, we find that females travel fewer km than males in order to go to work (females: 26.4 km; males: 41.4 km).

As far as the use of different means of transport is concerned, young people use their own car, someone else’s car or the metro the most. The highest average number of journeys is made using their own car and using the metro. 
Analysis according to gender indicates that females use city and intercity buses more, as opposed to greater use of the bicycle and car among males.
From among the three historical territories of the CAPV, the car is most used in Gipuzkoa (both cars owned by young people themselves and by someone else); the metro and intercity buses are most used in Bizkaia; city buses in Alava; local trains in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa; the bicycle in Alava, and the motorbike both in Gipuzkoa and in Alava.

Weekends

Half of the young people between 15 and 29 years of age claim that they travel outside their municipality at weekends when they meet up with friends. Data shows that the older the person, the fewer weekends they travel outside their municipality.

As far as the situation is concerned in the different territories, Alava is the territory where the fewest young people travel to another municipality at weekends (30.2%), and Bizkaia where they do so the most (57.8%).

The means of transport that is most used to travel outside the municipality with friends is the car ((both cars owned by young people themselves, 19.9%, and by someone else, 19.9%). In second place is the metro (20.7%), then the train (18.4%), and lastly the bus (15.5%). Data shows that public transport is used more than private transport.
Analysis according to gender indicates that females use private cars less than males, and that other people give females a lift in their car to a greater extent.
As far as the situation according to age groups is concerned, the older the person, the greater the use of their own car and the greater the amount of journeys made in someone else’s car. In contrast, the younger the person, the more they use public transport.

On the other hand and as far as the historical territories are concerned, greater use of the car is made by youth in Gipuzkoa and Alava for weekend leisure activities, albeit with a difference, as there is a greater number of young people in Alava who give a lift to others in their car than in Gipuzkoa, where they tend to use their own car more.

Consultation of related data:
Statistical indicators regarding the mobility of Basque youth
Pautas de movilidad espacial de la juventud vasca study. Basque Youth Trends 2007

Related links:
Statistics of the Basque Youth Observatory
Sociological studies of the Basque Youth Observatory