Over half of UK public pledging to use more sustainable mobility in 2023, says FREE NOW research

Over half of the UK public plan to increase their use of sustainable transport choices in 2023, as a way to cut spending and look after the planet, says FREE NOW’s new research. According to the research, almost a third of the public have said that sustainable transport  – including shared mobility and public transport – is more important in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis. 

The findings are revealed in the UK’s top transport resolutions, released by FREE NOW and show a marked shift in travel priorities across the country, where micro-mobility including e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as ride-hailing and lift-sharing have been increasing in popularity. 

The UK’s top transport resolutions include:

• Using more shared mobility – people plan to travel in different ways with 14 per cent pledging to use shared mobility more, with FREE NOW reporting a 200 per cent growth in micro-mobility usage in 2022 alone
• Considering living without a private car – almost half of young people think that they could live without their own vehicle by using cabs, PHVs, e-scooters and e-bikes
• Using more public transport – 37 per cent of people said that they will rely on public transport more in 2023
• Going electric – over one in 10 (14 per cent) are going to replace their car with a new, cleaner model, such as an electric car (EV) or hybrid, with new EV driver registrations on the FREE NOW app up 120 per cent in 2022.

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FREE NOW’s findings are revealed following the company’s increase in sustainability throughout 2022. Whilst overall trips have increased by 32 per cent, 74 per cent of those trips have taken place in EVs in 2022. In addition, there has been a significant rise in EV drivers coming onto the platform this year, up 120 per cent. The company also offers a £2,000 subsidy to help drivers make the switch to an EV – both for black cab drivers and private hire vehicles. 

Mariusz Zabrocki, General Manager UK at FREE NOW, said: “Sustainability is increasingly an important topic to both the general public and FREE NOW drivers. Already this year (2022) we’ve seen a 200 per cent increase in micro-mobility usage on the platform and nearly three-quarters of all taxi and private hire tours were done in electrified vehicles. This is only set to continue in 2023, with more people pledging to prioritise sustainable transport in their daily lives, with FREE NOW on hand to support them in any way they like to travel. We are committed to becoming net zero by 2030, making all taxis in the UK market electric by 2024 and all private hire vehicles by 2025 and we will continue to work towards this goal.”