Brisbane residents are getting off public transport and back into cars, with 72 per cent of people travelling to work by car.

Compared with other Australian capital cities, Brisbane was one of only two that had a decline in public transport usage by commuters between 2011 and 2016, with Perth being the other.

Public transport usage by capital city. Key: LGA - local government area; UCL - urban centre/locality Credit:Brisbane City Council

Brisbane City Council’s infrastructure committee reviewed Brisbane’s commuting habits and compared them with other capital cities following the recent release of the 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data.

A council spokesman said the downward trend in public transport usage could be due to service interruptions on rail lines or fare escalation between 2011 and 2016.