New data from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) has revealed that 5 million people across Britain (8% of the population) are being pushed into poverty due to transport costs. Cars are the most expensive mode of transport, with the median household spending over £5,650 annually. However, public transport is often limited in rural areas, leaving people with little choice but to purchase their own vehicle.
The SMF has offered long-term solutions to tackle transport poverty, but specialists have highlighted a way to drastically reduce driving costs in the short-term – lift-sharing. Liftshare, the UK & Ireland’s largest car-sharing platform, reported that their members save an average of £1034 each year. This is echoed by Commuter Census data from Mobilityways, which showed a 5% year-on-year increase in car-sharing.
“There is, however, an indication that people are starting to move away from driving alone, to more affordable and sustainable modes of transport,” commented Mobilityways consultant commutologist, Millie Botting.
Liftshare Community Manager, Amy Young, added “The increasingly prohibitive cost of car ownership is certainly a factor in the number of additional people trying lift-sharing. Drivers can cut the cost of their journey by half, or more if they take extra passengers. But we also hear from our members that they enjoy helping others get from A to B more affordably and conveniently.”
As a social enterprise, Liftshare offers its platform free of charge to members of the public. Those interested in cutting their transport costs can use the Liftshare Savings Calculator to find out how much they could save.
A new report from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) has revealed that 8% of the British population (5 million people) are being driven into poverty due to the high costs of transport. Cars are the most expensive mode of transport, costing the median British household over £5,650 annually. However, unreliable and expensive public transport options often leave people with little choice but to purchase their own car.
The SMF has put forward long-term solutions to tackle transport poverty, but specialists suggest a more immediate way to reduce driving costs – lift-sharing. Liftshare, the UK & Ireland’s largest car-sharing platform, reported that their members save an average of £1034 each year. Mobilityways’ Commuter Census data showed a 5% year-on-year increase in car-sharing, indicating that more people are starting to move away from driving alone.
Liftshare Community Manager, Amy Young, commented “The increasingly prohibitive cost of car ownership is certainly a factor in the number of additional people trying lift-sharing. Drivers can cut the cost of their journey by half, or more if they take extra passengers. But we also hear from our members that they enjoy helping others get from A to B more affordably and conveniently.”
As a social enterprise, Liftshare offers its platform free of charge to members of the public. Those interested in cutting their transport costs can use the Liftshare Savings Calculator to find out how much they could save.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.