Commuters can save around £150* a month by switching from car to bus – survey
16 Jan 2012
- Annual savings could pay household fuel bills for a year
- High fuel and parking costs taking their toll on car drivers
- Stagecoach survey shows financial benefits of bus travel
Travelling by bus instead of commuting by car could save drivers around £150* a month, according to new research carried out by Stagecoach.
A survey of transport corridors across the UK has revealed that consumers could save more than £1700* a year on average, just by switching from the car to Stagecoach bus travel.
The annual saving is enough to pay household fuel bills for an entire year**.
The research coincides with other recent studies which show that motoring and living costs have continued to soar over the past year. The cost of driving to work has increased by 21% over the past 12 months, while the amount of traffic using the country’s roads has dropped*** as commuters find it increasingly difficult to meet rising motoring costs.
Just last week, the cost of diesel was predicted to reach record levels by the end of the month while UK household energy bills have also risen by an average of 21% in the past 12 months.
Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Sir Brian Souter said: “Rocketing motoring costs and household bills are squeezing living standards for many families across Britain.
“This survey shows that people can save hundreds of pounds a year by switching from the car to the bus as well as avoiding the stress of being stuck in traffic jams on their way to and from work.”
Stagecoach has surveyed more than 30 commuter routes across its national bus network, from the north of Scotland to the south of England, which are used by millions of passengers every year.
The study assessed the cost of making the journey daily by car, taking into account only the cost of fuel and parking – no other costs associated with car ownership were included. The survey then compared the motoring cost with the cost of purchasing a weekly multi-journey ticket on Stagecoach buses which can be used for unlimited travel on Stagecoach services within the designated area.
The results showed that, for each and every route assessed, taking the bus cost significantly less than commuting by car.
In particular, the Stagecoach survey found that:
- Taking the bus between Tower Hill and Liverpool City Centre could be 86% cheaper than driving
- Commuters in the East Midlands could save up to £350 a month just by switching to bus travel
- Bus users travelling between Glenrothes and Edinburgh could be up to £5,000 a year better off than if they travel by car
- Travelling by car between Torquay and Exeter could be £195 a month more expensive than going by bus
- Commuters in Wales could save up to £1,700 a year by leaving the car at home and taking the bus
- Bus travel between Workington and Carlisle is 72% cheaper than taking the car
- Bus users travelling between Huntingdon and Cambridge are over £3,000 a year better off than if they take the car
Independent research has shown that Stagecoach is one of the best value bus operators in Britain.
Stagecoach Group is also working with other major public transport groups in the UK on the Greener Journeys campaign to encourage people to make less use of cars and switch to sustainable bus and coach travel instead. The campaign is targeting one billion fewer car journeys over a three-year period. The target could be achieved by switching one in 25 journeys by car to bus and coach, delivering a huge reduction in carbon emissions.
Further information on Stagecoach UK Bus services visit www.stagecoachbus.com.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com
NOTES TO EDITOR
*Based on an average saving calculated across 31 commuter routes in the UK. Individual savings will vary.
**Source – http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/21/household-bills-three-year-high
***Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2011’. Full report available at – http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/transport-statistics-great-britain-2011/roads-and-traffic-summary.pdf
KEY CONSUMER COST INCREASES
| PRODUCT/SERVICE |
ANNUAL INCREASE (%) |
| Energy bills1 |
21% |
| Car commuting costs2 |
21% |
| Global food prices3 |
19% |
| Car insurance costs4 |
14.4% |
| Owning and running a car5 |
14% |
| Fuel costs6 |
12.4% |
| Rents – London7 |
5.7% |
| Rents – England and Wales8 |
4.1% |
Notes:
1 Comparison website uSwitch.com reported in September 2011 that UK energy bills had risen by 21% on average in the past year, an increase of £224, with the biggest utility companies raising their prices more than once in the previous 12 months.
2 A survey by Green Flag published in November 2011 found that the cost of driving to work has increased by 21% (£229) over the past 12 months. UK motorists spend £243 million every week on driving to and from the office. Overall, the cost of commuting to and from work for motorists has increased by £1.9 billion over the past 12 months.
3 The World Bank Global Food Price Index in September 2011 was 19% higher than in September 2010. It said prices of grains rose 30% in 12 months, with maize increasing by 43%, rice by 26% and wheat 16%.
4 The RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, found insurance costs rose 14.4% compared to the previous year, up to an average of £551. The cost of car insurance was 35% higher on average than in 2009.
5 According to the RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, the average annual cost of owning and running a car soared by 14.0% (£819) to £6,689 per annum over the previous 12 months. The increase was almost three times the prevailing inflation rate of 5.0%.
6 The RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, stated that the largest single increase in car running costs in the previous year was fuel, which had increased by 12.4% or £160 (£3.07/week) since 2010.
7 According to the October 2011 buy-to-let index from LSL Property Services, average rental costs for tenants in London were 5.7% higher than the previous year.
8 The October 2011 buy-to-let index from LSL Property Services found that average rents in England and Wales were 4.1% higher than in October 2010.
Stagecoach Group
- Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
- Stagecoach is one of UK’s biggest bus and coach operators. Around 2.5 million passengers travel on Stagecoach's 8,000 buses every day on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The company's business includes major city bus operations in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge.
- Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast inter-city rail franchise.
- Stagecoach also operates the Supertram network in Sheffield.
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