Giving up car, relying on public transport

samsamson

Have any of you guys completely ditched the car in favour of public transport? Im considering doing this and some feedback from any other brave souls would be great! Has it been a success or failure?

DWCommuter

It really depends on where you live and where you need to get to every morning of your working week.

Carawaystick

Not in Ireland anyway....

mikemac

A car is a money pit, if you can do without one the go for it.

But you'd want to live on a good route to make it viable.

A scooter ftw! :pac:

KC61

Carawaystick wrote: »

Not in Ireland anyway....

As someone who doesn't drive but uses public transport every day (and not always a straightforward trip) I can say that yes it's possible to live without a car and within reason it's reasonably easy to get around using bus/train/tram.

However, there are times where having a car would be very advantageous and where it can be a pain not having it.

Victor

I've never owned a car. Bike and bus covers the vast majority of trips I do. Living in the right place helps. I might use taxis 1-2 times a week.

branners69

I sold my car this time last year, so have been carless for the last 12 months!

As said before it really depends on where you live and your lifestyle. I have a 2 year old and we manage well.

The obvious benefits of not having the car are the savings and, for me, the hassle of cleaning & maintaining it! Other benefits are not worrying about it being nicked or broken in to and not having to collect people from the airport!

The problems for me is when the weather is sh1t and you have to go somewhere. But taxi's are readily available now. Christmas time can be a pain, I had thought we could rent a car for Christmas week but the prices treble to around €300 for the week! Another problem is large shops in Aldi/Lidl dont really happen anymore but at least Tesco's deliver.

I'd say go for it but keep the money you get for the car so you can buy again if it doesnt suit your lifestyle. Thats if you can sell your car in the current climate!

Cool Mo D

It is possible to live without a car, but it does of course completely depend on where you live and work.

One thing that would make it so much easier to do without a car is a car sharing service like Zipcar, which means that you don't have to own a car, but you can have access to one at a reasonable price when you need one.

Even if you never use the service, I think it could act as the comfort blanket, that would encourage people to drop their cars, knowing that they've a backup plan if they need it.

NorDub

Sold my last car about 3.5 years ago on occasion of yet another larger relocation and haven't felt the need to buy one again so far. I'm mostly cycling, occasionally using public transport/taxi for transporting heavier or larger stuff - or car-owning friends. It certainly depends on where & how you're living and sometimes requires a bit more planning ahead. But by and large I feel it's a more relaxed way of life, not having to be concerned about servicing / repairing / ........ the car, worrying about theft, taxes, insurance, etc. Not to mention that cycling in a city actually gives a feeling of moving versus being stuck in traffic. (OK, being able to work flexibly helps, too.) The only times I miss having a car is when I'd like to go on spontaneous outdoor trips, am considering to join a car pool for that.

brian ireland

Cool Mo D wrote: »

It is possible to live without a car, but it does of course completely depend on where you live and work.

One thing that would make it so much easier to do without a car is a car sharing service like Zipcar, which means that you don't have to own a car, but you can have access to one at a reasonable price when you need one.

Even if you never use the service, I think it could act as the comfort blanket, that would encourage people to drop their cars, knowing that they've a backup plan if they need it.

How much is postage from Massachusetts to Dublin

BendiBus

I've never owned a car or even had a drivers licence.

There are only 2 times I think it might be worth having a car

Big shops or visits to home decor stores. It's not easy to carry 4 x 5L tins of paint onto the bus (OK I've never actually tried :P )

And visiting people in the sticks. I've family in Co. Tyrone and need to take 2 buses from Portadown train station to get there. Or get collected from the train

But apart from that I've never a problem getting around. Or a problem finding parking. Or having a couple of drinks with lunch. etc.

It also means I'll happily walk short distances where many others would drive rather than spend 10 minutes on foot. So I'm healthier and weigh less than most drivers

sideshowsue

I've been mulling over giving up my car for a while now. I currently only use it about once a week for grocery shopping and the rest of the time it just sits outside collecting dust and bird droppings.

I live in an area with good public transport links--I, in fact, take the train into Cork every day since it's generally reliable (provided the train drivers don't decide to call a wildcat strike like last summer) and good value. My house is just a 5-minute walk from the train station so accessibility is not an issue.

I always told myself that I'd give up the car for good as soon as a service like zipcar in the US became available here.

Guess what? While riding on the train this morning, I looked out the window and noticed a van driving by advertising 'GoCar.ie' I whipped out my iPhone, plugged it into the URL and lo! It's a car-sharing site on the same model as zipcar in the US: http://www.gocar.ie/.

It seems to just be in Cork , but if it's available down here, something similar must be available in other locations.

It looks like I'll be getting rid of the car in the near future.

branners69

sideshowsue wrote: »

I currently only use it about once a week for grocery shopping and the rest of the time it just sits outside collecting dust and bird droppings.

That was our problem, the final straw was when the wife went to use the car and the battery was dead. It just wasnt getting long enough runs so thats when we decided to go carless! And I wouldnt change it!

sideshowsue

branners69 wrote: »

That was our problem, the final straw was when the wife went to use the car and the battery was dead. It just wasnt getting long enough runs so thats when we decided to go carless! And I wouldnt change it!

That happens to my car as well, but since I live at the top of a very steep hill, jump starts are always possible!

markpb

I've lived & worked in Dublin for four years and never owned a car. Even now with my painful Santry-Sandyford commute, I still wouldn't buy a car. Getting the bus is fine as long as you know the timetables but perhaps I'm blessed with what I would regard as very reliable bus routes (27b & 17a). Cycling is quite handy too, I can get from south city centre to north Santry in half an hour.

I find that people doing similar commutes to me can do them shorter but only if they leave home at 7am or after 9am. My company are quite flexible so it's fine doing that but while you're not tied to a bus timetable, you do have to plan your life around traffic's timetable.

_Kaiser_

markpb wrote: »

Getting the bus is fine as long as you know the timetables but perhaps I'm blessed with what I would regard as very reliable bus routes (27b & 17a).

The 17A??? I was left standing far too many times at the Finglas terminus for these, or having missed a connecting 220 because it was late.. Was as bad when I was a kid in school!

you can't seriously mean this?

markpb

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

The 17A??? I was left standing far too many times at the Finglas terminus for these, or having missed a connecting 220 because it was late.. Was as bad when I was a kid in school!

you can't seriously mean this?

Yep, honestly. Now that the roadworks on Santry ave, Coolock lane and Oscar Traynor are finished, the 17a is usually the same plus/minus 5 minutes each day. I get it most mornings and change onto a bus on the Malahide road and usually end up getting the same bus every day. In the evenings I get a bus up either the Swords or Malahide road and change into a1 7a and, again, can usually predict it to about 5 minutes. On Sundays it's almost minute accurate. It's not as frequent as I'd like but at least it's reliable.

(Yes there are times when it doesn't show but I always ring the depot to complain and always gets reasonable reasons like bus broken down.)

spank_inferno

My wife & I have a small car we share.
It cost little to purchase.
We live in wicklow but both work in Dublin.

Our car costs us €3000 per year.
This includes all fuel, insurance, tax & maintenance.

We could use the (quite good) public transport options available in my area, but I dont see the point as it would cost us 50% more?

Its the costs that prohibit us

antoinolachtnai

I use the bike and public transport and taxis. I go quite a lot of different places in the course of the week. It certainly works if you live in Dublin city centre as I do.

It certainly costs me less than 3k/year. 3k/year would buy me three long taxi rides (in Dublin) in a week.

dereko1969

spank_inferno wrote: »

My wife & I have a small car we share.
It cost little to purchase.
We live in wicklow but both work in Dublin.

Our car costs us €3000 per year.
This includes all fuel, insurance, tax & maintenance.

We could use the (quite good) public transport options available in my area, but I dont see the point as it would cost us 50% more?

Its the costs that prohibit us

where in wicklow do you live and where in dublin do you both work? it would be interesting to do the sums on this, though obviously it would depend on whether the companies you work for are signed up for the taxsaver tickets and also what tax rate you're on.

i still have a car myself which is only really used for the big shopping and weekends away, if i did the sums myself i might be better off getting rid of it (must do that this weekend).

bk

dereko1969 wrote: »

i still have a car myself which is only really used for the big shopping and weekends away, if i did the sums myself i might be better off getting rid of it (must do that this weekend).

I find Superquinn excellent for the big shop, €4 delivery and much easier.

BTW I don't own a car, cycle to work, a little bus and taxi use.

markpb

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I use the bike and public transport and taxis. I go quite a lot of different places in the course of the week. It certainly works if you live in Dublin city centre as I do.

It certainly costs me less than 3k/year. 3k/year would buy me three long taxi rides (in Dublin) in a week.

Ditto. I bought an annual bus/Luas ticket through work which cost me about €600 (after the tax discount). That covers me for all the buses, both Luas lines and all the night-links. I get taxis occasionally but at €15 after a night out, I'd have to take a lot of taxis to bring me up to €3,000.

Carawaystick

The tax discount is grand and all if you have a job, not much use if you don't though...

spank_inferno

dereko1969 wrote: »

where in wicklow do you live and where in dublin do you both work? it would be interesting to do the sums on this, though obviously it would depend on whether the companies you work for are signed up for the taxsaver tickets and also what tax rate you're on.

i still have a car myself which is only really used for the big shopping and weekends away, if i did the sums myself i might be better off getting rid of it (must do that this weekend).

Wicklow town, & no problem doing the sums

Bus would be the prefered Public transport
2 x weekly 10 journey - wicklow to Dublin (online price) = 2x €44.10 = €88.20 per week
with 48 working weeks a year (excl holidays) thats €4233 yearly
Neither of our employers will allow the tax saver scheme.
Any further journeys would be extra.

Vs

Petrol - €40 pw x 52 weeks = €2340
insurance - €400 & dropping
tax - €370
Maintenance - I service the vehicle myself, parts €100 PA, if even.

Annual cost of Car for 2 = €3210
Annual commuting cost = €4233, plus other journey costs if they arise.

We get to work for less money, in far less time with flexibility that cannot be matched by either bus or train.

So, though I'd have no problem leaving the car for environmental reasons, its only dublin that really has the public transportation density to make it viable.

I wonder do FF councilors and city planners see the irony when they sit stuck in dublin car traffic of their own making

dereko1969

yeah those sums are difficult to argue with. i can't understand companies that don't provide the taxsaver tickets, it's disgraceful really.
if you were able to avail of them then the wicklow-connolly train fare for 2 would be €3540 less tax so could end up close to only half that for both of you.

Carawaystick

spank_inferno wrote: »

Petrol - €40 pw x 52 weeks = €2340

And you'ld only be going to work 46 weeks a year - 20 days holidays and 9 public holidays

spank_inferno

your right but when I'm not working the car is still in use for one reason or another. Long recreational drives etc

Amtmann

After much soul searching, I've decided to give up my car when my insurance lapses in the autumn. It's a luxury for me that I don't really need, and I certainly can't afford it anymore. I think I'll save about €3,000 per year by mothballing it. I'll really miss driving though.

Carawaystick

Furet wrote: »

After much soul searching, I've decided to give up my car when my insurance lapses in the autumn. It's a luxury for me that I don't really need, and I certainly can't afford it anymore. I think I'll save about €3,000 per year by mothballing it. I'll really miss driving though.

dude, that's only 'cos the roads'll be all built and we won't need photos or updates...

NewDubliner

spank_inferno wrote: »

Petrol - €40 pw x 52 weeks = €2340
insurance - €400 & dropping
tax - €370
Maintenance - I service the vehicle myself, parts €100 PA, if even.

Annual cost of Car for 2 = €3210
Annual commuting cost = €4233, plus other journey costs if they arise.

You have not factored in the capital depreciation on the car?

antoinolachtnai

Even if it's another thousand, he's still ahead.

I think the particular thing about this situation is that he isn't paying for parking at his place of work, and spaces are readily available (I assume from the figures).

Gruffalo

Furet wrote: »

After much soul searching, I've decided to give up my car when my insurance lapses in the autumn. It's a luxury for me that I don't really need, and I certainly can't afford it anymore. I think I'll save about €3,000 per year by mothballing it. I'll really miss driving though.

Given your love of driving, which is evident, driving is both a hobby and a means of transport for you. It shocks me that you would give it up, though obviously you know best.

NewDubliner

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Even if it's another thousand, he's still ahead.

Car depreciation is about 20%/annum? That'd make the car worth only 5k to start with, feasible if he's handy doing his own repairs.

More realistically, on a 20k car, the depreciation would be 4k/annum. And, this assumes a person bought their car for cash, rather than financing it with a loan, in which case interest repayments would be a cost too.

NorDub

Gruffalo wrote: »

Given your love of driving, which is evident, driving is both a hobby and a means of transport for you. It shocks me that you would give it up, though obviously you know best.

Well, a car can still be a not necessary luxury then. When I still had a car, it was standing around 99% of the time: I didn't need it for getting to work, not for most of my shopping, ... I could get nearly everywhere without the car. Actually, there were years when I filled petrol just once or twice during the summer months.
But on the occasions I used the car I loved driving. (Maybe because I used it then to drive where it wasn't a hassle to do so?)

Luke Crowley

NewDubliner wrote: »

Car depreciation is about 20%/annum? That'd make the car worth only 5k to start with, feasible if he's handy doing his own repairs.

More realistically, on a 20k car, the depreciation would be 4k/annum. And, this assumes a person bought their car for cash, rather than financing it with a loan, in which case interest repayments would be a cost too.

That depends on the car. My car has dropped in value by about €600 since I bought it in 2007, and most of that is due to the general fall in used car prices in the last year. ('95 Mercedes-Benz E200, bought it for €2600, worth about two grand now).

NorDub

NewDubliner wrote: »

Car depreciation is about 20%/annum? That'd make the car worth only 5k to start with, feasible if he's handy doing his own repairs.

More realistically, on a 20k car, the depreciation would be 4k/annum. And, this assumes a person bought their car for cash, rather than financing it with a loan, in which case interest repayments would be a cost too.

I think it's definitely not only a matter of money. Just counting euro and cent, it would be a 50/50-situation in most cases around a larger town. There are other aspects coming in as well. For example, insurance, servicing & repairs, having a secure place for the car, break-ins, accidents, ...
Or, in bad driving conditions, I gladly pay someone else to get me safely where I want and have my mind free to do something else in the mean time.

I found, just the "organisational bits" around having a car took up quite a bit of my mind and time - and most often when I really had no capacity for it. So I consider this the greatest luxury now: I really don't have to worry about any of this anymore.

antoinolachtnai

The depreciation on a 20 year old car is definitely not 4k/annum. A car used domestically (burning only 40 e of petrol a week) will last ten years at least. The depreciation is more like an average of 2k/annum (though it is more in the early years and less in the later years.