COMMUTERS CAN SAVE AROUND £150* A MONTH BY SWITCHING FROM CAR TO BUS

Travelling by bus instead of commuting by car could save drivers around £150* a month, according to new research carried out by Stagecoach.

A survey of transport corridors across the UK has revealed that consumers could save more than £1700* a year on average, just by switching from the car to Stagecoach bus travel.

The annual saving is enough to pay household fuel bills for an entire year**.

Stagecoach has surveyed more than 30 commuter routes across its national bus network, from the north of Scotland to the south of England, which are used by millions of passengers every year.

The study assessed the cost of making the journey daily by car, taking into account only the cost of fuel and parking – no other costs associated with car ownership were included. The survey then compared the motoring cost with the cost of purchasing a weekly multi-journey ticket on Stagecoach buses which can be used for unlimited travel on Stagecoach services within the designated area.

The results showed that, for each and every route assessed, taking the bus cost significantly less than commuting by car.

In particular, the Stagecoach survey found that:

• Taking the bus between Tower Hill and Liverpool City Centre could be 86% cheaper than driving
• Commuters in the East Midlands could save up to £350 a month just by switching to bus travel
• Bus users travelling between Glenrothes and Edinburgh could be up to £5,000 a year better off than if they travel by car
• Travelling by car between Torquay and Exeter could be £195 a month more expensive than going by bus
• Commuters in Wales could save up to £1,700 a year by leaving the car at home and taking the bus
• Bus travel between Workington and Carlisle is 72% cheaper than taking the car
• Bus users travelling between Huntingdon and Cambridge are over £3,000 a year better off than if they take the car

KEY CONSUMER COST INCREASES

Notes:

1. Comparison website uSwitch.com reported in September 2011 that UK energy bills had risen by 21% on average in the past year, an increase of £224, with the biggest utility companies raising their prices more than once in the previous 12 months.
2. A survey by Green Flag published in November 2011 found that the cost of driving to work has increased by 21% (£229) over the past 12 months. UK motorists spend £243 million every week on driving to and from the office. Overall, the cost of commuting to and from work for motorists has increased by £1.9 billion over the past 12 months.
3. The World Bank Global Food Price Index in September 2011 was 19% higher than in September 2010. It said prices of grains rose 30% in 12 months, with maize increasing by 43%, rice by 26% and wheat 16%.
4. The RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, found insurance costs rose 14.4% compared to the previous year, up to an average of £551. The cost of car insurance was 35% higher on average than in 2009.
5. According to the RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, the average annual cost of owning and running a car soared by 14.0% (£819)  to £6,689 per annum over the previous 12 months. The increase was almost three times the prevailing inflation rate of 5.0%.
6. The RAC's Annual Cost of Motoring Index, published in November 2011, stated that the largest single increase in car running costs in the previous year was fuel, which had increased by 12.4% or £160 (£3.07/week) since 2010.
7. According to the October 2011 buy-to-let index from LSL Property Services, average rental costs for tenants in London were 5.7% higher than the previous year.
8. The October 2011 buy-to-let index from LSL Property Services found that average rents in England and Wales were 4.1% higher than in October 2010.