2901.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/08/2016

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2016 Census Dictionary >> Glossary >> Method of Travel to Work (MTWP)

Method of Travel to Work (MTWP)

This variable records up to three methods, or means, of travel to work on the day of the Census, for each person aged 15 years and over who was employed during the week before the Census. The question allows for multiple responses across all categories except walked only, worked at home, and did not go to work; for example, a person's journey to work by car as the driver, by ferry and then bus, would be recorded as such, i.e. all three modes would be coded.

The data are used in Place of Work (POWP) analysis, and transport planning. It should be noted that it refers to method of travel on the day of the Census, not usual method used. Statistics gathered from this question give an indication of the way people travelled to work on Census day, however, some issues in practical application of the statistics should be noted when they are used in conjunction with Place of Work (POWP) data.

The following points should be particularly noted:

Statistics on method of travel relate to 9 August 2016, while journey to work and other labour force statistics relate to the main job held last week. For the Census, this means the week before 9 August 2016. For example, a person may have been working in the centre of Sydney on 9 August 2016 and have travelled there by train, however in the week before the Census, they may have been working in an outer suburb of Sydney and travelled there by car. In this case, the person would have their MTWP as train on the Census form, whilst their usual travel pattern would actually be by car.
A person who had a job last week may have been unemployed, retired, or on leave on 9 August 2016 and therefore did not go to work on that day. In this case, data on their method of travel to work would not reflect their usual travel pattern.

If a person was unemployed last week but became employed and used a designated method of travel to work on the 9 August 2016 their MTWP would not be captured on the Census form in this instance, as the sequencing of questions is based on labour force status in the week before the Census.

See also Place of Work (POWP), Working population.