Why is taking the bus more expensive than driving the car?

yinhong

I've always found this puzzling, especially since I want to take the bus more regularly to reduce my emissions.

It costs me £4.50 return for a ~10 mile journey into the city (Zone 5 - Zone 1) but only £3-£3.50 using the car (based on a worse-ish case scenario of 115p/litre petrol and 30mpg).

I hope no one labels me stupid or ignorant, but why is it so?

pinkfluffybabe

Because public transport generally isn't value for money

Probably if it was made terribly cheap and much much better than driving, the services would be over-subscribed and they wouldn't have the capacity to match it.

It is strange that the government want us out of our cars, but just aren't willing to make it worth our while.

yinhong

pinkfluffybabe wrote: »

It is strange that the government want us out of our cars, but just aren't willing to make it worth our while.

Exactly what is confusing me.

PasturesNew

yinhong wrote: »

only £3-£3.50 using the car (based on a worse-ish case scenario of 115p/litre petrol and 30mpg).

If you factor in your depreciation and running costs you might find your actual costs for your journey double.

Then, if driving, you might have to pay for parking.

It does seem cheaper in a car, but the petrol isn't the only cost.

Amba_Gambla

I finally gave up on the buses about 18 months ago. A trip that would have cost me about £1 and 15 minutes in the car cost me over £2 and 1.5hrs on a bus that stank of p*ss.
I'll get a taxi next time.....

yinhong

PasturesNew wrote: »

If you factor in your depreciation and running costs you might find your actual costs for your journey double.

Then, if driving, you might have to pay for parking.

It does seem cheaper in a car, but the petrol isn't the only cost.

This is more what I was looking for. It at least makes it a bit more comprehensible how bus companies can charge so much.

Parking is probably the biggest additional cost: around £3 I reckon. Many times I can get "free" parking at the supermarket, and if I go cinema there's free parking too, but yes: if I have to park in the main shopping malls, then I'll try to start considering just taking the bus into the city (factoring in time and hand luggage 'costs').

anewman

Not forgetting parking costs when you get to the destination. I know driving to Leeds city centre will be more expensive than the bus because parking alone will cost more than the bus journey.

hewhoisnotintheknow

parking
insurance
mot
tax fuel

MenstrieBen

Another way to look at it is the HMRC rates for paying milage which take into account all of the costs. THe govenment isn't known for giving away more than it needs to....

If I remember right its currentley at £0.40 per mile (and has been for some time so it takes no account of the petrol price rises over the last year and a bit) so when you use that + parking costs to compare against the bus ticket it doesn't look so bad :rolleyes:

Bargin_Betty79

I now have to travel buy bus to work as I no longer have a car and find it a lot cheaper, My ticket costs £13.00 for seven days and has unlimited use on all the buses in the town.
This is roughly £52 a month, where as running a car was costing me:
£65 Insurance a month
£25 MOT/Tax a month
£20 a week petrol

Its a saving of well over £100 a month, its no where near a convenient as having a car but I just smile when I think of the money I'm saving!

Sailor_Sam

If there are a few of you, for example you are going shopping at the same time as nieghbours, or on a similar route to work as colleagues; you may find a taxi cheaper than public transport.