Public transport is no alternative to the car and hasn't improved in decades: new survey

The anti-car agenda may be gathering strength in some quarters, but data just released by the RAC proves that drivers haven’t recognised any improvement in the public transport alternatives in more than three decades.

No fewer than 81 per cent of drivers say they’d find it very difficult to adjust to life without a car, according to RAC polling, a figure the organisation says is remarkably consistent with 1989, when it first posed the question to drivers.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of drivers currently state they have no feasible alternative to commuting by car, a figure that rises to 70 per cent for drivers living outside towns and cities. Even in urban centres, only 50 per cent of drivers regard taking the bus to work as a viable option, with numbers falling to 26 per cent in the suburbs and 11 per cent for countryside dwellers. 

Overall, 61 per cent of drivers always commute by car, with those who always use their car for grocery shopping close behind at 57 per cent. 42 per cent always drive on the school run, 40 per cent always drive to the airport, and 26 per cent always take the car to mainline railway stations. Only 8 per cent of commuters who are drivers choose to walk, cycle or use public  transport instead of their cars.

Overall, only 29 per cent of drivers see public transport as an attractive alternative, yet according to the RAC, 53 per cent of drivers would make the switch “if public transport was more convenient, reliable and affordable”. That figure has fallen back from 59 per cent in 2019.

RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our research shows that the car remains central to so many people’s lives. While those in more rural areas are most car dependent, half of those in urban centres also don’t see public transport as a viable alternative for their daily commute.

“What’s more, while there’s a definite willingness to make greater use of alternatives to the car, driving is still the mode of choice when it comes to running errands or making leisure trips, possibly because drivers see it as the most time and cost-effective option.”

Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car…