I'm sure everyone recognises that there are some people, for whatever reasons, are wholly reliant on their own private car to get around.However, far too often people cite such an example as some kind of justification for the vast numbers of people who aren't reliant on having their own car.A quick look at survey data (albeit from 7 years ago) shows that 62% of households in LBH own a car, with 54% being the average across London, with the highest Borough for car ownership being LBRUT (75%).Not that it can even be proved one way or the other, but I suspect at least half of those households don't need a car, and the Richmond figure demonstrates how the more affluent amongst us want to get in their Range Rovers to drive Jemima and Bartholomew the 1 mile to school rather than going by public transport or on foot or by cycling.In many cases office work could be done from home, thereby reducing reliance on both cars and any other form of transport, reducing the demand on existing transport information and the need for more.For years my employers forced me to have a company car, even when our offices were based in the City with no on-site parking and thus the only time I ever used the car for work purposes was for the occasional meeting, site visit etc. outside of London when it was quicker to go by car than train etc.Essentially it was completely unnecessary and not remotely value for money.I've been self-employed for over 2 years now and for the last 6 months I've lived in Newbury. I have sites all over the country, I attend committee meetings all over the country, but the fact is I don't need to own a car and to do so would a complete waste of our money. When I need a car I'm a member of both Zipcar in London and another car club here, or I hire a car from Hertz, and other times I travel to meetings by train etc.Don't get me wrong, when we do have a car I like it, and we do tend to venture alot further when we have a car. But do we actually need it ? - no. Is it cost-effective for us to own a car ? - no. And that's living in Newbury, any need or cost-effectiveness of us owning a car would decrease massively if we moved back in London (which we won't).People's opposition to this is always "if we didn't have a car it would be inconvenient or that it should be entirely up to the individual and if they can afford their own car then the state shouldn't interfere".I don't own a car out of deep seated environmental principles, rather primarily out of the simple fact it makes zero financial sense to do so, but at the same time having been without my own car for 3 years I'm also very much aware of how "manageable" life is without owning a car, which many car owners simply cannot envisage because they've never tried.
Adam Beamish ● 2214d