Car drivers rail against fuel prices (The Mirror 12/07/2010)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From The Mirror:

Travellers are leaving their cars at home and opting to take the train instead as petrol prices rocket.

Train companies recorded an extra 35 million journeys last year and new research has linked the increase to ever-increasing fuel costs. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies see - here)) found for every 5% increase in fuel prices there was a 1% increase in demand for train tickets. The average price of unleaded petrol has risen by 15% to 118.1p in a year.

Edward Welsh, of ATOC, said: "Higher petrol bills are putting highly unwelcome pressure on travel budgets."

Atoc also welcomed research by Southampton University showing that four out of five journeys are cheaper by rail than road.

[devon_metro]

My local petrol is 112.9

Tomorrow I will be car less and it will be costing me more to use public transport for where I need to be tomorrow.

[caliwag]

So are you counting all the costs of running a car? or have you a shed? I hear people all the time talking about costs of car driving as if it's just the petrol but Jeez just wait till the next big bill...blah blah...tyres are a horrible price and your local servicing boys will take ^40 an hour off you. Sorry if you live in the sticks but this is the future, cheap travel, like cheap flights are rapidly disappearing.

[Bob_Blakey]

According to the AA, average costs for running a car are as follows:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/running_costs/petrol2010.pdf

I am no rail fares expert but I doubt there are that many Standard Class tickets that approach even the lowest (28ppm) figure quoted.

[grahame]

According to the AA, average costs for running a car are as follows:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/running_costs/petrol2010.pdf

I am no rail fares expert but I doubt there are that many Standard Class tickets that approach even the lowest (28ppm) figure quoted.

Standard class tickets commonly range from 15p to 66p per mile - open singles / returns.  And I have even come across one that's over 100p per mile.

Comparisons are hard though ... there's a lot of off peak, advanced, and railcard travel.   But then the cost of a car is for four seats, whereas the train price is per seat.   You have a fixed investment with the car, so perhaps you should only look at the incremental costs once you have the thing ...

[paul7575]

If we're looking at proper commuting use though, many season ticket fares are a bargain. The whingers [led by South Today's 'transport correspondent Paul Clifton] will tend to compare the Anytime fare from Southampton, but a regular commuter is going to be paying around ^100 a week, rather than ^50 ish per day. 

That ^20 per day gets him a round trip of about 140 miles at 14p a mile...

(Fares are guessed - but correct within 10%)

Paul

[LiskeardRich]

My local petrol is 112.9

Tomorrow I will be car less and it will be costing me more to use public transport for where I need to be tomorrow.

down here (cornwall) Asda unleaded is at 112.9, everywhere else is 117.9-119.9, Asda is 20 miles away, but i have to go to Falmouth at least once a week, so i try to need petrol when i'm in that area!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

thats the thing, in some areas of the country rail fairs are subsidised and as already discussed many times ppm varies significantly, and example of this is exeter to minehead on sunday (using a ypr) cost me ^10 return if i went by car the carpark cost alone would have been ^5.50 for the day, it may have taken abit longer but being able to drink made that worth while, however other end of the scale well i dont need to explain i will just say it..... cross country

[caliwag]

Of course the reality is that the vast majority of people don't consider public transport...it's just a hassle. They have a car on the drive and they are probably paying off the purchase and so it has to be used. The milage rate comparisons are completely irrelevent to them...probably the cost of a Starbucks.
So why we have to suffer all these Daily Wail winges baffles me. (I know it's all lobbying...he/she who shouts loudest gets a reprieve...a lesson if you have lost a potential rail upgrade!)
Everyone has to be hit with the cuts, including petrol drinkers...oh except Crossrail bizarrely!!
 

[devon_metro]

Of course the reality is that the vast majority of people don't consider public transport...it's just a hassle. They have a car on the drive

Exactly; Particularly when combining modes of transport. It's all very well if you live next door to a train station.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i live 5 min walk from a train station, oh actually thats bradfords now

[inspector_blakey]

Mutter, mutter, whinge, moan, pah.

Kids today.

It's called a "railway station".

Creeping Americanization of the English language...pfft.

Mutter, rumble, chunter, once a great nation, Daily Mail, grizzle et seq.

[JayMac]

Have another beer, blakey. 

[inspector_blakey]

In the words of Catherine Tate (or one of her characters, anyway) "What are you insiiiiinuating....?"! 

Fair point though. Bedtime. Bleedin happy hour special offers... Not my fault honest.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

what if i pronounce it twain