New Delhi [India], October 5 : Students aged 15 - 29 years record the highest regular trip participation at 79.1 per cent in rural India and 73.3 per cent in urban India for daily commute to attend educational Institutes.
The data comes from the first-ever National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) conducted between July 2025 and June 2026. The survey was carried out by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which defined a trip as travel covering a distance of more than 1 km.
"Nearly two-thirds of students aged 6 years and above undertake within-travel-day trips of at least 1 km to attend their basic course educational institution (65.6 per cent in rural areas; 68.1 per cent in urban areas)," the Ministry noted in the survey report.
Walking serves 37.0 per cent of students nationwide, buses carry 29.5 per cent, and bicycles account for 15.8 per cent. Auto-rickshaws ferry 10.5 per cent of students overall and 14.4 per cent in urban centres, while two-wheelers support 6.7 per cent nationally and 11.5 per cent in cities. 
Average travel time for students stands at 23 minutes, with 87.6 per cent arriving within half an hour and 82.0 per cent departing between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
Regarding workforce movements, the survey stated: "Over half of all workers aged 15 years and above perform within-travel-day trips to fixed or non-fixed workplaces (54.5 per cent rural vs. 64.1 per cent urban)."
A visible gender divide marked employment travel, with 61.9 per cent of male workers commuting daily compared to 41.9 per cent of female workers. 
Two-wheelers remain the predominant choice for 42.6 per cent of the workforce. Urban mass transit systems account for 5.0 per cent of worker travel nationally, but show heavy concentration in Maharashtra at 20.7 per cent, West Bengal at 16.5 per cent, and Delhi at 14.4 per cent.
Work commutes average 25 minutes, with 83.4 per cent of employees reaching work within 30 minutes and 94.9 per cent departing before 10:00 AM.
"Workers commuting to a fixed workplace spend Rs 1044 per month in urban areas and Rs 612 per month in rural areas," the survey noted.
This averages out to Rs 785 per month nationwide for fixed-workplace employees, where male workers average Rs 835 monthly against Rs 533 for female workers. For students, monthly transport expenses average Rs 443 nationwide, with urban learners spending Rs 617 and rural learners spending Rs 361.
For overnight household travel, the Ministry said, "Socialising, communication, and religious activities drive the overwhelming majority of overnight household trips (69.7 per cent rural; 70.9 per cent urban)."
Buses and railways facilitate 73.5 per cent of overnight travel, followed by cars at 15.1 per cent and two-wheelers at 8.8 per cent. Leisure, culture, and tourism comprise 7.4 per cent of these journeys, while self-care and maintenance account for 6.5 per cent.