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RAC: We’re more dependent on the car than a year ago

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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35% of UK drivers – equivalent of 14.7m people – say they are more dependent on using their car than 12 months ago, with public transport seen as an expensive and unreliable alternative.

That’s according to data released as part of the latest RAC Report on Motoring, which show a further rise in the proportion of drivers who say they rely on their cars as their main mode of transport – increased dependency is up from 33% in 2018, and from 27% a year earlier, and is now at its highest proportion in the past seven years.

Just 14% of drivers (the equivalent of around 5.9m people) say they have become less dependent than a year ago, though this has also increased from 12% in 2018 indicating a small rise in those saying they are less dependent on their vehicles.

At a time when the Government and local councils are keen for drivers to use their cars less frequently to improve air quality and cut congestion, the RAC says it believes the findings are a stark reminder of the reality for many people, especially those who live outside the biggest cities – that for good or bad, millions of people remain enormously dependent on their cars for many types of journeys.

The top reasons drivers give for using their cars more are a greater need to transport family members (28%), family and friends moving further away (24%) and, perhaps most strikingly, a reduction in the provision or quality of public transport (25%) – with drivers in the North East (42%) significantly more likely to call this out as a reason for them increasingly turning to the car.

Drivers are particularly frustrated by the lack of feasible alternatives to the car for the journeys they need to make, according to the data. Most – 57%, the equivalent of almost 23.9m people – say they would be willing to use their cars less if the quality of public transport was better, and agreement with this statement has been high for an incredible 11 consecutive years. Around half of drivers (53%) say they are frustrated by the lack of feasible alternative modes of transport for long journeys, with a similar proportion (52%) saying the same about short journeys. These figures both rise to 55% for drivers aged between 25 and 44.

Among drivers who would be willing to use public transport more, half (50%) say the reason they don’t use public transport more is that fares are too high – up by five percentage points on last year – while 41% say services are not frequent enough. Meanwhile, a growing number of people (36% – up from 31% in 2018) say that a lack of punctuality is a significant barrier to them using public transport as an alternative to driving, and 38% say services don’t run where they need them to.

Of those who would be willing to consider using public transport if services were better, almost a third (31%) say they would make more use of it if there was greater availability of services – a figure that rises to 40% for rural motorists, reflecting to some extent the significant cuts that were made to rail services following the Beeching Report and, more recently, to rural bus services as highlighted last year by the Parliamentary Transport Committee.

The RAC’s findings also show that motorists who live in London are more likely to use alternatives to their cars compared to drivers elsewhere in the UK. In the capital, on average 38% of each driver’s weekly journeys are made either by public transport, walking or cycling, compared with a national average of just 24%.

For those who live in villages or other rural areas, cars typically account for an enormous 85% of all journeys, with just 15% currently represented by public transport, cycling or walking.

Across the UK as a whole, an overwhelming majority of motorists (73%) say they would find it very difficult to adjust to life without a car – with more than half (54%) of this group stating this is because their vehicle is essential for carrying heavy items. Given the capital’s more comprehensive public transport system, a smaller proportion of drivers in London (58%) say they would struggle to adjust without a car – compared to 84% of motorists who live in villages and rural communities.

Wales receives £32m transport infrastructure boost

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Grants of more than £32 million have been announced by Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates in an effort to improve transport links across Wales.

Over 100 applications were received after local authorities were invited to submit for funding, with 52 schemes selected across 21 local authorities supported by £28.8 million from the Local Transport Fund and a further £4.1 million from the Local Transport Network Fund supporting 14 schemes across 12 local authorities.

A new bus interchange costing £3.6 million has been scheduled for construction at Merthyr Tydfil, with £20 million earmarked for further public transport improvements. 

In north Wales, £3.6 million will go to improve public transport and active travel on the B5129/A548 through Flintshire and on to Deeside Industrial Park, while more than £3 million will benefit local authorities across mid and south west Wales to enhance public transport corridors and interchange.

“These grants are a substantial investment to support sustainable local economic growth, enhance public transport facilities, create and improve routes that will encourage more people in Wales to walk and cycle,” said Skates, speaking at Deeside Industrial Park where improvements were already being carried out.

“The successful projects, such as this in Deeside, are prime examples of the practical solutions we have asked the local authorities to design in order to make it easier for residents to connect with their places of employment and businesses, and to do so more sustainably.”

This investment in local transport schemes further boosts the grants announced by the Deputy Minister Lee Waters last week.

These included the allocation £19 million from the Active Travel Fund, and £10.9 million for the creation of Safe Routes in Communities and road safety schemes.

More funds made available for cleaner buses

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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A further £25 million is to be committed by the government to the Clean Bus Technology Fund, a project launched in 2017 to upgrade buses with technology reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions in areas of poor air quality.

14 local authorities have been chosen by the government for the cash boost, following on from last year’s £40 million grant to 20 local authorities. 

Existing fund recipients were invited to apply for funding to extend their projects earlier this year, with all applicant bids successfully confirmed.

Discussing the government’s commitment, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: ”I am delighted to announce a further £25 million to retrofit 1,817 buses through the Clean Bus Technology Fund.

“We all know that air pollution is the top environmental risk to health in the UK. Nitrogen dioxide emissions must be lowered if we want to ensure cleaner and healthier air across the country.

“Local authorities are the best placed to introduce systems that work for their areas, which is why we are working closely with them to ensure they have the appropriate funding and support.”

The new £25 million investment will support the 2017 UK Plan fro Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations which sets out how councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots will take robust action.

“We are committed to driving down emissions across all modes of transport, and I’m delighted to see the bus industry putting itself at the forefront of this,” said Transport Minister, Jesse Norman.

“This £25m investment will help the sector work towards the continued acceleration of low emission buses and a 100% low emission bus fleet in England and Wales.”

Government is working closely with 61 English local authorities, and has placed legal duties on them – underpinned by £495 million in funding – to tackle their nitrogen dioxide exceedances.

By the end of this year, all local authorities will have carried out studies and, where appropriate, developed or be developing bespoke plans tailored to the nature of the nitrogen dioxide problem in their own local area.

New low emissions buses as part of £48m investment

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Communities across the UK stand to benefit from greener journeys with the introduction of 263 new low emission buses on certain routes.

A £48 million investment from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles will fund green vehicles and infrastructure to drive forward government plans to clean up the air in towns and cities.

Speaking at the UK Bus Summit, Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani also announced a new partnership with Greener Journeys to reflect the ‘pivotal role’ played by the bus industry in tackling loneliness and social isolation.

The partnership will see companies across the sector pledge to tackle loneliness, including through innovative vehicle design and initiatives to encourage bus passengers to talk to each other.

Buses Minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Buses are far more than a way of getting from A to B. They are a crucial tool in the fight against loneliness and it is good to see the industry taking steps to tackle isolation.

“This government is doing more than ever before to reduce emissions across all modes of transport and I’m delighted to see the bus industry putting itself at the forefront of this.

Nineteen successful bidders across England and Wales will receive funding to purchase new low emission buses and supporting infrastructure, such as charge points.

The fundings is part of the government’s £1.5 billion Road to Zero strategy published last year.

Claire Haigh, Chief Executive, Greener Journeys, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the government to tackle the epidemic of loneliness affecting millions of people in the UK. Research from Greener Journeys shows that a third of people in Britain go at least a day a week without speaking to anyone – not a friend, colleague or family member.

“Buses play a vital role in facilitating social connections among the most vulnerable people, who rely on them to take them to visit friends and family. It’s fantastic to see the industry come together to launch such a brilliant range of initiatives to address the problem of loneliness.”