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"a "significant number" of drivers intend further reducing their car use"

(8 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by chdot
  • Latest reply from splitshift

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    From Sunday Herald

    "

    DRIVERS faced soaring
    prices at the pumps
    in 2011, with the cost
    of unleaded petrol
    reaching a record 137.43p
    a litre in May. The cost of filling
    up has dropped since and,
    amid an outcry of protest,
    Chancellor George Osborne
    cancelled a planned 3p rise on
    tax paid on unleaded petrol and
    diesel. It was due to come into
    effect today.
    But AA spokesman Luke
    Bosdet said the motoring
    organisation would publish
    research this week showing
    a "significant number" of drivers
    intend further reducing their car
    use in the coming year, with
    many still struggling to afford
    the cost of fuel, now averaging
    132.71 p for petrol.
    He said: "The fear is that
    when even the slightest green
    shoots [of recovery] start to
    appear you will have people
    running around saying the era of
    cheap oil has ended, demand
    will be greater than supply, the
    price of oil will be going up and
    you need to buy now - and that
    then sends the price soaring.
    "Alternatively, we might have
    a little bit of a problem in the
    Middle East... you can always
    look to a little global tension just
    to push the price up as well.
    "The only counter is that it is
    a case of 'be careful what you
    wish for'. If the price of oil drops
    spectacularly the chances are
    the reason for that is because
    the euro has collapsed or some
    other global economic activity
    has gone badly wrong. So it is
    a balancing act."
    He added motorists would
    benefit if the pound improved in
    value against the dollar, gettinq
    more fuel for their buck"

    "

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Tulyar
    Member

    I think you will also find a substantial increase in SORN applications to take vehicles off the road and de-tax/ de-insure them.

    I drive mainly at night and over the past year the roadds have become deserted,and the phenomenum is extending in to city centres from trunk routes. Streets may clog solidly at the morning and evening peaks but outside those times the streets are deserted and even car parks are not filling up.

    Glasgow has had to bail-out their parking enforcement operation, and has posters advertising discounted deals on parking, along with car valet added value on the sites. Virgin spend over £11m expanding parking at Preston Station with the view of catering for growth in car use to get to the train, but has had to discount annual charges by 40% in an attempt to get if filling up faster. Wigan is equally deserted, and Coleshill Parkway has abandoned charging and parking there is free until 2015 (the year not the hour).

    When people do get out of car ownership for a longer period they begin to notice the savings made and the inertia required to start owning a car again increases.

    It might be interesting to observe the reduction in or lack of use of car parks - the local Lidl here barely has 30% of space filled - when it is busy, as everyone walks or cycles - any other car parks not filling up?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. crowriver
    Member

    Yeah, well we'll see. A lot of people make New Year resolutions to lose weight but Scotland still has one of the highest levels of obesity in the world.

    Quite a few folk are feeling the pinch due to the recession, some have lost their jobs. So this may be the main factor in reducing car use parking charges just now. Judging by Edinburgh's streets this part of Scotland does not seem much quieter, still lots of single occupant vehicles trundling around at all hours.

    It may be that a fair proportion of the folk who have decided to use the car less or stop altogether will be won over by public transport or active travel. I kind of doubt it though. If the economy picks up again in the next few years (by no means certain) I'd expect the streets to clog up even more.

    The stats show that car ownership and use was hardly affected by previous recessions. It's possible this one is different, and that we'll see a mass conversion to cycling, walking and buses. After all, the government is showing real leadership on this by increasing funding for active travel, public transport options, and alternatives to private motor vehicles. (Shurely shome mishtake?)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. LaidBack
    Member

    who have decided to use the car less or stop altogether will be won over by public transport

    Increase in rail fares though should help keep trains from becoming too busy!
    A 5% increase on some routes...

    Actually cycling is the only sector to have no price increase really. That and walking should become very attractive.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. crowriver
    Member

    The Scottish stats are quite interesting, though some are a bit out of date.

    As far as I can see, what has been happening since 2008 is that fewer new cars are being bought, and folk are holding onto their existing cars, as the total number of registered cars is still going up. However they are using them a wee bit less. I'm guessing the visits to auntie Morag in the Highlands or that weekend trip to the Borders are the journeys which are being cut back, as commuting by car has remained largely static. The length of journeys by car in all categories has increased substantially since the 1980s, but most car journeys are still under 10 miles.

    87% of all commuter journeys by car are made by lone drivers, indeed the majority of car journeys are single occupant.

    Rail travel continues to increase despite annual price rises.

    Cycling features a modest increase in recent years.

    http://scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Transport-Travel/TrendHowPeopleTravel

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. splitshift
    Member

    cars !my wife wouldnt be able to give up hers, unless the choo choos changed times and or routes !(work !and she s unwell ! ) I find the oppositte of crowdrivers suggestions,in our house, the weekend trips to aunt morags etc still take place, its the stupid, round the corner runs that even my wife has now ommitted !The cost of a particular journy is still high, but if we "need " to go to inverness/hogwarts school or on hols !then the car is generally the best option for us as a family . However the commute to my work used or would now be approx £25 per week(fuel only) i dont spend that now, also, a new Tesco has opened fairly close and we walk to it for shopping,instead of driving further to a rival shop , so, tesco are green !AGHHHHH ! what am i saying !Unfortunately Mrs splitshift travels 5 times a week, from home (falkirk) to the gyle, its nearly £55 a week, but.......the car is a 1998 model, petrol, and has 17000 miles on it ! It is only repaired by me, and i frequently(always!) use scrap yards, or if on a sunday, vehicle recycling points !I know that many modern cars use much less fuel , but we cant afford a new, or nearly new car so we have what we have ! It cost me £21 to buy, I know i cant work out where the £1 came from either !It is a mid range tax bracket, couple hundred pounds a year and has 4 doors, a large boot and a cycle rack on the roof that comes of all the time cause it creates so much drag !I have often bought part worn tyres and have never had any problems with them !It has transported furniture/people/bikes trees/rubbish/car parts etc etc etc, BUT ! Cause its a mercedes benz all the similar models are being bought up by smart export companies who export all thge bits to developing countries cause they have no money !Which makes all our parts even more expensive !!Out today on the bike, my cheeks were skelpin red and my thighs felt like they were made of ice !! just for fun ! magic !

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. crowriver
    Member

    Unfortunately Mrs splitshift travels 5 times a week, from home (falkirk) to the gyle, its nearly £55 a week, but...

    The peak train fare is £11, ie. £55 for 5 days, though you could probably get a season ticket for less. Off-peak travel a fair bit cheaper than that.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. splitshift
    Member

    looking very closely at train prices just now, but as she isnt very well, she leaves work quite often at strange times, but we/she is considering it as a gen option when shes been into hospital and fixed !

    Posted 13 years ago #

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