Public transport users spend more than twice as much as car users in Dublin city shops according to new research from the National Transport Authority.

More than one third of revenues (36 per cent) for retailers in the Grafton Street and Henry Street areas of Dublin’s city centre, comes from shoppers who arrived into town by bus by bus, 16 per cent comes from people taking the Luas, and just under 20 per cent from shoppers who arrive by car.

The survey of 1,671 shoppers by market researchers Millward Brown found people who walk into town spend slightly more than car drivers at 21 per cent. Despite accounting for about 5 per cent of those travelling into town, cyclists account for less than 3 per cent of retailer’s revenues. Rail users were slightly higher as just over 4 per cent.

Respondents answered questions on why they came into town, how they travelled in, how many times they had visited in the previous four weeks and how much money they were spending in town that day.

While most money comes from public transport users or walkers, car drivers are the biggest spenders individually. When asked how much they spent shopping in town over the previous four weeks, car users reported an average outlay of €141. Dart and mainline rail users were the next highest average spenders at €120, Luas travellers spent an average of €97, and bus passengers a little less at €84. Walkers and cyclists spent a similar amount to each other with average monthly spends of €69 and €66 respectively.

The survey results will be used to help determine future transport planning strategies for Dublin city, Anne Graham chief executive of the authority said.

“We wanted to understand the spend, motivation and travel habits of people visiting Dublin’s city centre, and to measure the impact each transport mode makes on shopping activities in the city centre .”

While car users did spend the most money per head the research demonstrated that the city relies on public transport users and walkers, she said.

“It is the public transport, walking and cycling communities that deliver the strongest cash injection to the city’s economy as a whole. After all, they account for over 80per cent of all visitors, and we will continue to put these people at the centre of our transport planning – for the long-term economic benefit of the city.”