Public transport versus car commuting in Australia

[ozbob]

Commuter costs and potential savings: Public transport versus car commuting in Australia

--> www.ara.net.au/UserFiles/file/Publications/Commuter-costs-potential-savings-report-FINAL%20(1).pdf

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MEDIA RELEASE

www.ara.net.au

12 December 2013

Australian commuters leave your car at home and save

Australian commuters could save more than $5,400 per year by leaving their car at home and commuting to the CBD with public transport, a national review of annual commuter costs has found.

The report commissioned by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) also identifies that CBD commuters could average a saving of $9,425 by not owning a car at all or deciding not to purchase a second household car.

ARA CEO Bryan Nye said with Christmas around the corner, many households may be reviewing their budgets but unaware of the significant savings that can be made by switching to public transport.

"Christmas is only two weeks away and with budgets being stretched, we felt it was timely to highlight the savings that Aussie commuters can achieve by choosing to travel with public transport," said Mr Nye.

"For instance, commuters travelling 5km by car to the CBD spends on average $7,432 per year and those driving 25km into the CBD could be spending on average $14,639 annually to commute.

"Leaving their cars at home, commuters travelling 5km to the CBD could save on average $4,859 and commuters travelling 25km could save on average $6,124 per year.

"These figures grow again if commuters decide not to own a car or not to purchase a second household car.

"This study confirms why government investment in public transport is good use of public money and, if utilised, will see the money going back into the people's pocket.

"Australians are giving thought to New Year resolutions could benefit considerably by changing their commuter habits," Mr Nye concluded.

The study identifies costs and savings in Australian capital cities according to the distance commuters travel to the CBD (5km, 10km, 15km, 20km and 25km) and the vehicle type they drive (Light, Small, Medium, Large, People Movers, Compact SUVs, Medium SUVs and Large SUVs).

To identify the savings commuters can achieve, the study first costed the following three scenarios:

1. Scenario one: own a car and commute to work by car five days a week,
2. Scenario two: own a car but choose (or are able to) commute to work five days a week by public transport, and
3. Scenario three: do not own a car and commute to work five days a week by public transport.

The Report found that Perth and Sydney commuters have the highest costs to own and commute to work by car compared with those in other capital cities, the reason for this being attributed to CBD parking charges.

Melbourne and Brisbane based commuters pay similar prices and in Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart commuters benefit from significantly lower car commuter costs.

View the full report (including a table of all commuter costs and savings) by clicking here.

[ozbob]

The Guardian --> Driving to work costs $11,000 a year for the average capital city driver

... Public transport costs were derived by multiplying the cost of an unlimited monthly rail or bus pass by 12. Sydney's MyTrain pass costs an average of $1,296 per year, significantly less than the $1,854 a year spent by Myki users in Melbourne. Brisbane was the most expensive, with its Go Card system costing an average of $2,212 ...

[Jonno]

And this doesn't even include the externality costs

[#Metro]

The Guardian --> Driving to work costs $11,000 a year for the average capital city driver

It is important to respect the truth, even if it says something we don't like to look at.

The study is fundamentally flawed. If it were really true that PT was that much cheaper, everybody would be using PT and few would be using cars. A simple observation in the real world reveals that the opposite is true, and thus the study must be wrong. If it disagrees with real world observation, it's wrong, no two ways about it.

The study appears not to consider the TIME COSTS associated with public transport (half hourly or hourly waits), it does not consider the extra value of benefit that a boot of a car gives to a person, the extra value of instant frequency and direct service to everywhere, flexibility to change destinations or plans at will, that other strangers are not on board, the fact that PT has to stop at stations and is thus slower and frequency tends to die off after hours. Even when considering emissions it is not that great - only patronage services (think BUZ services) will have any positive greenhouse impacts, indeed hi-waste and welfare services that have a lot of duplication (i.e. Brisbane) are likely to be churning out more CO2 than necessary, because the trip is so indirect and the pax on board are so few (i.e. 50% air buses).

The study also does not consider the subsidies given to PT which should be rightly added to the price if they are both a PT user and taxpayer. If the government takes $5 from you and then supplies a service to you of $5 value for zero price, the effective cost is $5, not zero. Why? Because the money is still coming from you, just only at tax time.

That's why it is deeply flawed.

I'm not making prescriptions here, all I'm doing is describing the situation - in the same way as describing facts that water is wet, the sky is blue and fire is hot,

The solution to better PT is to have a lean, simple and high frequency bus network (Brisbane is not close to this, proved recently by analysing the BCC hi-waste bus network model which found that 80% of bus services in the off peak were welfare or 30 minute routes, only 20% is useful) working in synergy with train services to reduce duplication (and thus unnecessary emissions).

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Train and bus commute cheaper than the car: study

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> High cost of commute

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th December 2013

Public transport versus car commuting in Australia

Greetings,

The release of the Australasian Railway Association commissioned report:  Commuter costs and potential savings: Public transport versus car commuting in Australia ( http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10401.0 ) has certainly generated a lot of media interest.

The point that is glossed over however is the time cost associated with using public transport, particularly outside inner Brisbane.  This acts as a major disincentive for use as well as direct fare costs.  More on this point here --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10401.msg136210#msg136210

The study has again confirmed the high cost unbalanced fare structure in SEQ.

The Guardian --> Driving to work costs $11,000 a year for the average capital city driver

Quote

    ... Public transport costs were derived by multiplying the cost of an unlimited monthly rail or bus pass by 12. Sydney's MyTrain pass costs an average of $1,296 per year, significantly less than the $1,854 a year spent by Myki users in Melbourne. Brisbane was the most expensive, with its Go Card system costing an average of $2,212 ...


It is becoming increasingly frustrating to watch our public transport system being junked because of a failed fare structure. Getting passengers back on public transport is a huge overall economic benefit.  Governments need to act in the best interests of the entire community.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Twitter

Alan Davies ‏@MelbUrbanist

How much extra does it cost to commute by car? http://wp.me/pPJet-3Iy