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(Thu 31 Aug 06)
The research was based on analysis by the centre for economics and business research (cebr) of the 2001 Census and a Swiftcover/YouGov survey conducted this year. The figures suggest that, in England and Wales at any rate, motorists in the major cities are most able to live without a car, but as soon as you venture into more rural areas the need for personal transport becomes more pressing. Data for Scotland is much less clear, for various reasons. "We expect," says Swiftcover, "that most areas of Scotland will fit into the 'least able to live without car' category - particularly in areas where there is a very low population density." That would apply in, for example, most of the Outer Hebridean islands, where the nearest car dealerships are likely to be many hours' drive away in Inverness. In more urban areas, the survey suggests that there are quite a few people who could abandon their cars for at least some of the time and use public transport instead. But around 10% of the total said that they would still not give up their cars for any reason, regardless of the level of petrol price, road tax or congestion charges that they might be faced with. Swiftcover also found that 4.5 million parents take their children to school at least once a week, and that fewer than 10% admitted that public transport offered a possible alternative. That's despite the fact that the average school run covers less than four miles. "We were amazed by these findings," says Swiftcover's Managing Director Andrew Blowers. "It seems to be that the vast majority of the nation's motorists believe they have no alternative to their cars. It is especially surprising that less than one in ten parents believe they could use public transport to get their kids to school. Either the alternative doesn't exist or local authorities need to do more to promote the alternatives, because clearly the nation does not see any other option than jumping in the car. "If we are to lower the amount of car use in this country this report suggests that additional taxes on the motorist - such as congestion charges and petrol duty - will not substantially alter the nation's habits. We have become very attached to our cars." 30/08/06 News: Rising Cost Of Motoring |
Online insurance provider Swiftcover (
