Is it significantly cheaper to use public transport rather than run a car?

Answer 1

It depends on where you live.
For daily use in a place like NYC, yes.
In Union WV no (there is none except of the aged).
Part of the equation also is the cost of the car used, and it's maintains issues. A brand new car can loose up to $10000 in deprecation the first year. While a car over 5 years old will loose maybe $500.
So as much as you would like a simple answer there is none.

Answer 2

It depends.
If you're comparing driving a big expensive car like a Jaguar then public transoprt will be a lot cheaper, but if your talking about a Ford Fiesta, then I would bet it's the car that's cheaper. A small car like that will probably cost around 40p a mile to run, however the average bus trip is probably closer to 60p a mile, depending on where you are going. As soon as you start to add up the cost of multiple people travelling then public transport get way more expensive. For example: I can get a bus to the next town 3 miles away and it will cost me £1.70. To drive that far in a 1.4 ford Fiesta will cost me about £1.20. This is based on the total running cost for a car this size doing 10000 miles a year and is based on a new car that in the first few years will lose a lot of money in depreciation. If you buy a 3 year old car it will be a lot cheaper to run, probably about half as much, say 20p a mile. If two people need to do the same journey, on the bus it will cost £3.40 but in the car it will still cost £1.20.

On longer journies the scales tip in favour of public transport, so for example if i need to go to the nearest big shopping centre i have to travel 15 miles. On the bus this will cost be £3.70 but in the car it will set me back £6:00 plus the cost of parking. However again as soon as i make the same journey with my wife the car becomes cheap, but only by a small margin.
However you also have to consider the conveneince of a car. With public transoprt you will be tied to certain times, may well have to change buses/trains etc which can add greatly to journey times. Also what if where you want o go isn't on a public transport route. Then you have to get a taxi which is a lot more expensive per mile.

What i would say is, if you live in the centre of a city then you can probably manage perfectly well on public transport. However if you live in an area like mwe where buses come every hour and are not co-ordinated with the train services at all then you struggle without a car and you will not save much if anything over running a small economical car.

Answer 3

In general, it is cheaper--note the "-er"--than letting everyone drive one person to a car, or even with carpooling. See, even if you carpool in an SUV, six at a time, you're only splitting the cost of the vehicle, fuel, parking, insurance and maintenance, six ways at most. At most. With a mass transit bus, that cost can be split 20 ways on your average day, per round trip on a route. But the catch is: to make the most of that reduction in expense-per-vehicle, you have to actually run a lot of routes and _crowd_ the hell out of the buses. And there's no question: it sucks in bad weather. And a lot of people on the bus--riders and drivers alike--are bitter sorts with serious attitude problems. And hygiene freaks aren't gonna like the ride, no question. But what's the alternative? Giving everyone an electric bike or moped (like in urban China), limiting top speeds to 20 miles per hour and having very lenient license requirements, provided you can ride the thing and not make excessive noise? (as per current law for motorized bicycles in Illinois, by the way) Even then you have the bad-weather problems. Still. And sweaty riders, still. And people playing the snob/class-warfare card, still. And that assumes everyone can ride a bicycle--not everyone can. Why hate on public transportation? Nobody's making you use it, and for the most part, you aren't being made to pay for it either--lots of mass transit services are privately run on _their own money_.

Answer 4

No of course not!Think of how much it is on a bus for 1 journey,then think about how many you'd have to make in a month and work it out!I used to use a bus all the time and I was using approx £60 a month on using the bus, and I was still walking lots of places.I then got a car, my insurance is £40 a month and I use about £15 petrol.It's not much difference but it's alot better having your own freedom with your own car rather than relying on a bus.

Answer 5

My daily commute to work (a 20-mile round trip) costs me £3.75 per day, taking into account fuel, wear and tear, insurance, road tax, etc. It takes me about 25 minutes each way.

The same journey by bus, would cost £12 per day and takes a minimum of 90 minutes each way, with three changes.

The same journey by train would be impossible, as the nearest station is 3 miles from my work - which also happens to be the nearest station to my home.

This is is the real world of public transport in Britain today, not the fantasy...

Answer 6

Overall public transport is cheaper if you do an average amount of miles a year (up to maybe 10,000).

Accepted figures that when you take into account the cost of the car (plus any credit interest charges), fuel, tax, insurance and servicing are about 30p - 40p per mile. (this becomes less if you use the car more - petrol becomes a larger portion rather than the car and insurance costs)

With bus and train passes, costing maybe £40 - £100 a mionth (except london, where of course they just want all your money off you as soon as you enter the capital), it is cheaper.

Answer 7

Yes, it is cheaper to use public transport but you get what you pay for and you will find public transport, (unless you a very lucky) is useless. They never go where you want to, when you want to etc., and you will therefore spend a lot of wasted time waiting around for buses and trains and then have to do a lot of walking to get to your destination. Also, should you have any shopping etc., you have to carry it too.
You don't get Champagne on beer money sadly.

Answer 8

depends where you are. Where i live its significantly more expensive to use public transport, but then you have to pay more for the best services. Last week i actually got one of them seat type things on the train! thats what i pay my £60 a week for.

Answer 9

For me to get to work on pesent wagons I need to get 2 trains and one buss thats to go 36 miles!! first train is £2 second is £4 and the buss is £1 thats one way!! so if i get return tickets it costs £10 per day!! in my car it costs £6 all in (insurence the lot)
on the trams it takes 1hour and 1/2
in my car it takes 50minutes
My Car:
smells good.
its warm/cool (whatever I feel like)
I can listen to my music

Answer 10

it might be in city centres as the bus prices are reasonable (50p covers the main bit of manchester) but as i go nearer my home away from manchester the prices rocket, to do the 50p distance near my house costs 6 times more ( and thats only if the driver gives you the best ticket for the trip).