Quarter of car owners driven off the road by rising prices
The rising cost of fuel and insurance is forcing one in four London drivers off the roads, a study showed today.
New research shows that 24 per cent of motorists in the capital have given up their car over the past 12 months.
By abandoning their car drivers save an average total of £2,009 a year in motoring costs such as tax, insurance, fuel, parking and maintenance. The research, carried out by car rental provider Sixt UK, also showed that "London taxes" such as the congestion charge are a big motive to stop using cars in the capital.
Nearly one in 20 Londoners said they would consider giving up their car to avoid paying the charge, while 70 per cent said they had been hit hard by the rising cost of parking permits. The report also shows that the average Londoner uses the car for only four hours a week for leisure. Motoring groups said that while the cost of oil continues to rise, car use in the capital is likely to continue to decline.
Paul McLoughlin, managing director of Sixt UK, said: "The cost of owning a car for people in the capital -from maintenance, taxation, fuel and insurance - is proving to be a cost too far."
