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MOTORING costs have soared by twice as much as inflation over the past year, according to new research.
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http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/More-woe-for-hardpressed-families.6637517.jp
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
"More woe for hard-pressed families as cost of running car hits £16 a day"
(11 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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But probably still cheaper than 14 years ago.
Posted 13 years ago # -
[This is where this post should have been....]
RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said: "Owning a car is a necessity for most..."
Really Adrian? A necessity? I've no doubt some people would find a few things harder at first without a car, but a necessity?
Posted 13 years ago # -
"necessity"
That is the prevailing 'wisdom' on which much transport and social policy is based.
Those who own cars must be facilitated (or they'll vote for someone else).
Those who don't must have their (presumed) aspirations encouraged.
All part of the 'great car economy' legacy.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"
Gummer denies the 'great car economy'STEPHEN CASTLE and GEOFFREY LEAN Sunday, 20 March 1994
BARONESS Thatcher's vision of a 'great car economy' has been renounced by a senior Cabinet minister, marking a turning point in the Government's enthusiasm for motoring.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/gummer-denies-the-great-car-economy-1430379.html
"Mmm
So whose legacy is the current Tory party trying to preserve?
Posted 13 years ago # -
[This is where this post should have been....]
[In which case this is where this reply should have been...]
Really Adrian? A necessity?A neccessity in the Gordon Brown "having the internet is as vital as water" respect
Posted 13 years ago # -
Never going to be cheap enough to convince me to travel by train to Ayrshire. At £73 for the family to go (outwith peak times/prices) and return that buys 2 full tanks of petrol and we can get there and back 6 times on that plus the convenience of not having to travel off peak on a week day...
Posted 13 years ago # -
"Never going to be cheap enough to convince me to travel by train to Ayrshire."
Quite likely - especially with impending above inflation fair rises.
There many issues around cost, convenience and personal choice.
The economics of car ownership are such that if people own a car, it's almost cheaper to use more than not, given the balance between 'fixed costs' (insurance, depreciation etc) - especially now new cars have all sorts of extended warranties (I haven't read the small print).
Clearly some people 'can't afford' the cars they have, but because they 'need' them for practical or social reasons, they seldom look at the 'real' costs of ownership - actually cost per mile of use (and the cost of alternatives - bike, bus, train, walk and all of them.
Some people believe they 'need' a car for the weekly supermarket shop. Trailers etc. will never be a 'mass' item. Carless people often club together for a taxi. I believe some emporia will deliver (and carry the goods inside) - for free if you spend more than £50.
All personal choices. The problem is successive (UK and other) governments seem to 'accept' that car ownership/use is 'inevitable', 'a right' even and should as cheap as possible for as many as possible rather than geniunely offer incentives for alternative travel options or reduced travel.
This isn't just about 'transport' policies - it's planning and land use too.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I believe some emporia will deliver (and carry the goods inside) - for free if you spend more than £50.
And if you can't be bothered to even go to the supermarket, for no extra cost they'll also pick you the stuff that's just about to go out of date and will substitute you a tin of Brasso when they can't find any apples on the shelves :)
Posted 13 years ago # -
Brasso? Someone's having a laugh.
"Never going to be cheap enough to convince me to travel by train to Ayrshire."
You make a good point. All five of us can get from Musselburgh to Waverley return on the train at the weekend for £5.40. I suppose some trips are good value, convenient etc. and others not.
Posted 13 years ago # -
chdot they seldom look at the 'real' costs of ownership - actually cost per mile of use (and the cost of alternatives - bike, bus, train, walk and all of them.
Yes... but once you have a car you must use it as much as possible. Leaving it parked and using an expensive train or bus is a luxury when you're on budget.
Plus from experience I know that cars are an essential part of ohild care (aka child restraint!).
While I used to cycle on tandem to school I would be overtaken by a car load or two with primary and pre-school children. (These vehicles always seemed to park too close to lolipop man but that's another issue). Parent would then nip out with pre-schoolers still belted in - drop eldest kid at school and nip to shop for fags and sweets. As they would say
"You cannae do that on a push-bike!"
I'm pleased to say that during my use of bike from primary 1-7 only one other parent started biking - helping to keep the roads clear for 'hard pressed' aspirationals from nearby flats a 5 min walk away(!).Posted 13 years ago #
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