Mobility survey: Lithuanians prefer cars for convenience, public transport considered too time consuming

A recent survey of more than 2,000 Lithuanian residents revealed that only one in five primarily uses buses or trolleybuses as their main means of transportation. According to research conducted by participants of the Create Lithuania programme, this choice is largely driven by a lack of convenient routes and the slow pace of public transport.

Encouraging sustainable mobility

The survey shows that 42% of respondents mainly travel by car powered by diesel or petrol, 20% use public transport, 14% walk, and 12% ride a bicycle.

One of the study’s authors, Greta Šimeliūnaitė, notes that promoting more sustainable travel habits could start with the “low-hanging fruit.” As many as 80% of respondents said their household owns at least one working bicycle, two-thirds use it occasionally, but only one in ten cycles regularly.

“Although the survey is not representative, it allowed us to identify emerging trends and residents’ needs. For instance, expanding the cycling network, improving lighting, and maintaining cycle paths during the colder months could encourage occasional cyclists to ride more frequently,” says Šimeliūnaitė.

Her colleague Kimberly Kreiss, who co-managed the project “Developing the Sustainable Mobility Index” at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, adds: “One in four drivers travels less than five kilometres by car. This means that under more favourable conditions, many of them would likely switch to public transport.”

Inconvenient, but safe

The survey also found that 45% of respondents avoid public transport because it takes too long. Another 34% believe that buses and trolleybuses are overcrowded and therefore uncomfortable, while 26% say stops are too far from their homes.

The data show that residents of Vilnius and Kaunas use cars less frequently than those in other municipalities (35% and 53%, respectively). Meanwhile, people living in smaller regions more often cite inconvenient public transport, unsafe cycling paths, poor lighting, and heavy car traffic as barriers to walking or cycling.

Still, the study revealed that most Lithuanians feel relatively safe when using public transport — 60% disagreed with the statement that they feel unsafe — and 75% said that air pollution or noise does not discourage them from walking.

The survey, conducted online between June 18 and July 28, 2025, gathered responses from 2,262 participants across Lithuania. While the current survey was not nationally representative, the findings will be integrated into Sustainable Mobility Index that is being developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. As part of their former Create Lithuania project, Šimeliūnaitė and Kreiss also designed a proposed methodology for the index.