7 ROAD TRANSPORTATION

PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION

Light vehicle fleet and use

In the 10 provinces, 16.8 million light vehicles (i.e. vehicles with a gross weight less than 4,500 kilograms) were in scope for the 2001 Canadian Vehicle Survey (CVS). Of this total, 10.5 million were classified as passenger cars and station wagons, 2.3 million vehicles listed as vans, 2.5 million vehicles were defined as pickup trucks, and 1.3 million were classified as sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). As a group, light trucks, SUVs and vans represented 37 per cent of the light vehicle fleet. As Table 7-3 shows, vans and light trucks were on average driven more than passenger cars, accounting for 41 per cent of vehicle-kilometres. Vans and light trucks were driven on average 19,000 kilometres per year, while cars and station wagons were driven about 15,500 kilometres, a difference of more than 20 per cent. Vans and light trucks also had higher vehicle occupancies than passenger cars, accounting for 43 per cent of passenger-kilometres. This works out to an average occupancy of 1.7 persons per light truck or van, slightly higher than for passenger cars and station wagons.

Note: Figures in this table exclude the Territories.

Source: Canadian Vehicle Survey, Statistics Canada and Transport Canada calculations

As expected, there was a wide gap in fuel efficiency between cars and the heavier trucks and vans. Calculated fuel efficiency for cars and station wagons averaged about 10 litres per 100 kilometres, which was about 25 per cent lower than the corresponding consumption rate of 13 litres per 100 kilometres for vans and trucks.

With few exceptions, the distribution of light vehicles, vehicle-kilometres and passenger-kilometres by province/territory broadly followed the distribution of population. In terms of motorization (number of vehicles per capita), most jurisdictions were clustered around the overall average of about 540 vehicles per 1,000 people, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, whose rate was more than 10 per cent higher, and Newfoundland and Labrador, whose rate was 20 per cent below the national average. Annual average vehicle use and average vehicle occupancy were tightly clustered around the national averages of 17,000 kilometres per vehicle and 1.6 persons per vehicle. Average light vehicle fuel efficiency did show some variation across jurisdictions: the Atlantic Provinces had an average fuel consumption at least 10 per cent higher than the national average, varying between 12 and 15 litres per 100 kilometres. Quebec and Ontario had the lowest fuel consumption rates, each below 11 litres per 100 kilometres, while the Western provinces clustered around the national average, with the exception of British Columbia, whose rate was more than 13 litres per 100 kilometres.

Table 7-4 compares the fuel efficiency of vehicles by province in 2001.

Source: Canadian Vehicle Survey, Statistics Canada and Transport Canada calculations

Major Events in 2002

Infrastructure

Industry Structure

Passenger Transportation

Freight Transportation

Price, Productivity and Financial Performance