Aussie commute times longer than ever

Get your history podcasts primed and ready because if you commute to work, things are unlikely to improve.

In fact, according to the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, commuting times are only going to increase.

On average, workers in Australian cities now spend more than an hour in traffic each and every day. Do a little loungeroom math and that equates to more than 20 days stuck in a car, train or bus every year. Yikes!

The worst city is Sydney -- no surprises there -- with average commutes taking 71 minutes each day, and you'd be wrong if you thought Melbourne was next – it's actually Brisbane with 67 minutes.

Melburnians came in with the third longest commute in Australia with 65 minutes, followed by Perth (59 mins) then Adelaide (56 mins).

Those living in the Northern Territory have it better than any other state with an average daily commute of 35 minutes.

The results of the survey are based on data collected in 2017 and come from more than 17,000 Aussie participants followed over the course of their lifetime in the only study of its kind in Australia.

Experts say there are a number of reasons for the increase in commute time, including road congestion, urban expansion and poor public transport services.

The negative impacts on people spending more time commuting goes beyond a lower level of job satisfaction, shows the report, which cites issues including a reduction in family time, social activities and physical exercise.

Also noted was increased exposure to nuisances and hazards including traffic noise, crowds, congestion, pollution and uncomfortably hot or cold conditions – all of which can cause physical or emotional distress and have a direct influence on a person's physical and mental health.

Want more bad news?

According to Infrastructure Australia, the future isn't looking much better as the population continues to grow at a rapid pace.

A report released by IA this week shows congestion on roads and public transport networks is continuing to rise and could even double if the government doesn't step in -- despite a $123 billion investment in construction and another $200 billion worth of commitments already in the pipeline.

Infrastructure Australia's chief executive Romilly Madew told the ABC that the current infrastructure program must do more than plug the immediate funding gap.

"Despite their scale, recent investments in transport infrastructure in our fast-growing cities is largely playing 'catch-up' rather than providing additional capacity that will support substantial future growth," she said.

"Population growth offers enormous economic opportunity but the risk is our infrastructure fails to keep pace with demand. This obviously impacts productivity, quality of life and the liveability of our cities and regional centres."

One of the possible solutions to ease congestion include flying taxis, which futurists predict will be common by 2050.

Questions for readers: How long is your commute and what do you think is an acceptable time to spend on the way to/from work each day?