Beijingers Have Longest Commute In China: How Long Does It Take You?

Beijing, did you know it takes you longer to get to work than everywhere else in China? According to a recent survey by the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Beijingers have come top for longest commute to work. Be it traffic woes (both humans and vehicles) or personal habits, it is reported that it takes an average of 38 minutes for commuters in the city to get to the office. Surprised? Apparently the survey has not taken into consideration the delay caused by increased traffic congestion. Suspiciously, compared to last year’s report of a lengthy 52-minute commute, Beijing’s average has shrunk 14 minutes. We are as stumped as every other commuter in Beijing about CAS adopting this method of calculation. It certainly doesn’t feel any quicker.

We decided to check if our staff was above or below the city average with a survey of our own. Will True Run Media’s tally prove to be lightning fast or super slow?

TRM’s average time spent commuting to work: 44 min – six slower than the city average.
Most popular mode of transport: almost half of those surveyed took the subway.

NOTE: We also asked our colleagues how long it took for them to set off for work in the morning (a whopping 1h 32 min) and how long it took them to get started once they’d arrive (7 min. Really?) but explaining that can of worms is a whole other blog post.

So, Beijingers, what do you reckon of the CAS’s claims – how long does it take for you to get to work? Is it that much better than last year? We’d be interested to hear your take.

Photo: Flickr user EL Generalissimo