Would you use your car less?

[GutsyShark]

Following on from the people who don’t drive thread (hopefully less ire on this thread, I’ve avoided AIBU for this reason):

If there was regular, reliable public transport in your area would you use it regularly and drive less? Or do you like your car and wouldn’t want to give it up?

Public transport operates at the times you need it to and you wouldn’t need to give up your car altogether, just would you use it less?

I've got a free bus pass and a railcard but with only one bus per hour and a train every 2 hours 12 miles away it just doesn't work for me.

To add, even if public transport was way more efficient than it is now, there will always be limits outside major cities ( unless money literally no object which will never be the case) so realistically the level that PT would ever get to in my town would still not work for me.

Yes, definitely. I'm on maternity leave at the moment and I would find it much easier to take the baby in the pram on public transport rather than having to load up the car and find parking for every outing we go on.

I drove buses for best part of 10 years on and off, in London and outside. It put me off getting buses for life.
Old people falling over on your bus, old people dying on your bus , people peeing on the bus , even people pooping themselves. And sick. The smell of vomit.

Peoples loud shit music, anti social behaviour and… school kids..

My car recently wasn't working. Got the bus. One an hour. Last back from the local town is at 5.30. So if you go to London for work you'll miss the last bus . The decent shopping town is max 30 mins away in the car, take about 90 mins on the bus. If it was better, yes id use it more often.

Nah, I love being able to step out of the house and go exactly where I need to be, at exactly the right time, and not have to worry about getting a seat, things being cancelled, or there being trouble (evenings when people have been drinking etc).

I had direct public transport from near my home to the office. It was generally fine if a bit long winded. I eventually gave up my car as it was sat on the drive all week.

Then I had children.

They need picking up at set times/dropping off. Collecting from school in emergencies and ferrying to appointments, parties etc so I then had to start driving again.

The public transport system in most commuter towns isn't really upto the job of facilitating working family life

This is something I feel quite passionate about because it’s where there is policy and there’s consumer preference and policy takes no account of consumer preference- like e-scooters are obviously popular and people want to use them but everyone is trying to ban them because they’re a pain in the arse but that’s just because we haven’t worked out how to incorporate them into the system. We need to though as people ( esp young people) actively choose to use them. They are cheap and green.

Nope. Too many idiots use it so I’ll always choose my car.

We have one train an hour (when it isn't cancelled) and hourly buses.

I would far rather use public transport more often, but it never runs when I want it to and it is too unreliable.

We do.
Hands up we have 2 cars. One is ancient and won't replace when it dies. Other new, reliable for proper distances.
I go to work on the train. Although quite rural we are opposite a station. I wouldn't take a job now that requires a commute by car.
Also use the train during tourist season so don't have the bother of trying to park on the coast and recently used it to visit my sister. It goes into London Bridge so possible to do it without using the tube

Probably not

I drop my dog off at day care on the way to work so that would be a faff getting off ans back on the bus. Also run errands after work. Trip to supermarket, post office, appointments

At the weekend quite often use public transport anyway and I can't see that usage increasing

Reliable public transport here but I spent my life on it til 36. I’ve met enough weirdos and sleazy taxi drivers to know I have found my safe space in the car.

Having said that I would be nice to have a safety net for I don't know the car has broken down, or I couldn't drive for whatever reason

Not in a million years

My main bit of weekly driving is taking my children to extracurricular. I would happily send them on a safe, regular bus service instead.

Supermarket... no

DH has just switched his commute to train from car, since our second car died . He's concluded its more relaxing. Its a lift at one end (20mins) 4hrs on train, 4 miles bike ride. (Weekly commuting). He then cycles the 2 miles to and from work daily.

No, because it will never be as convenient or as quick as the car, but in context I live in a rural hamlet.

If I lived in a city, then I probably would.

Probably not.

we are about a 20 min walk to nearest bus stop. So unless they provided a mini off road shuttle that worked in conjunction it’s not really an option daily.

The bus at that bus stop only runs three times a day. Not at all weekends

If they magically increased busses to every 20 mins all day and weekend then I wouldn’t mind walking to and from bus stop on occasion.
But it’s a very steep hill so in winter when it’s icy and summer it’s 30+ in sun it’s not very pleasant either in midday sun. so it would be an Autumn or spring day

It’s a 12 min drive to the nearest nursery/ and school. I looked and it was 3hrs 40 by public transport or 2hrs 20 to walk ( adult pace not toddler). My child only spends 3hrs at nursery, so I’m going to spend 4-6hrs walking or public transport

I learned to drive because of public transport issues they literally removed the bus service from my area stopped running the bus to the hospital you can only get sick and need A&E between 8am and 5.30pm don't run buses to estates where people work so you can't actually get to work that's before you factor in costs it's fine for adult dd where she lives is right by where she works but there is nothing where I live and work

Yes, I certainly would. We're very rural so a car is essential (well, not impossible to live without but it requires a drastic change in lifestyle which I shall probably embrace when I'm much older).
There was talk of creating a bus service where people ring up the day before and 'book' a minibus to take them to places. It sounded such a good idea and I would have happily paid for such a service but it wasn't taken forward in the end, very sad. I genuinely worry about global warming and vehicle emissions etc.

Honestly if public transport is more hassle in any way (i.e. takes longer, leaves me standing at a bus stop in the cold, having lots of bags, crowded) then I'm less inclined to use it.

The only reason I use it where I live is because it's very reliable and frequent, and parking is really expensive and difficult.

I'm a bit cynical but I just think public transport has to be very, VERY good and cheap (probably better and cheaper than it realistically can be) for people to actually make the switch.

People generally do what is most convenient and easy for them.

The biggest problem is often buses or trains only go on the main roads. So you end up having to go in the opposite direction to town centre, to connect to bus to a village for example. Where as by car it’s a quick drive through woods to next village.

if you live on main route or in big cities it works better

I'd be cost driven and trains are just far too expensive. Even the bus prices have recently increased.

It would take a lot to get me out the car.

I'd rather ride a bike to more local places but it's the security of leaving it somewhere that's then a risk.

It's not the transport part I hate, it's the public part. The public can be rotten.

I've been sexually assaulted multiple times on public transport, once as a 13 year old girl. So no, I'll be staying in my car until it's made illegal to do so.

We rarely use the car - about once a month on average maybe? We only really need it for visiting PILs, pretty much everything else we go by foot/bike/public transport.