Public transport to save NZ commuters almost $10,000 a year

Public transport to save New Zealand commuters almost $10,000 a year

A national review of annual commuter costs has found that New Zealanders could save an average of $9,065 every year simply by travelling to work with public transport instead of owning and driving a car or purchasing a second household car.

‘The Costs of Commuting: An Analysis of Potential Commuter Savings’ Report, prepared by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), identifies the annual cost to commute by car and then uses two scenarios to quantify the potential savings a public transport commuter could make by not driving a private vehicle. The scenarios estimate potential savings for those who use public transport and do not own a car or have not purchased a second household car and those who own a car but opt to leave it at home. The report looks at capital cities in Australia and New Zealand, highlighting Auckland and Wellington in particular.

ARA CEO, Bryan Nye OAM, said the start of a New Year brings new resolutions, with many New Zealanders looking for ways to save money and change old habits.

“This report highlights just how costly it can be to drive your car to work five days a week and in doing so provides a practical solution for many people looking to kick off 2015 saving their hard earned money,” said Mr Nye.

“A lot of people are unaware of the significant savings that can be made by selling their car or simply not purchasing a second household car and switching to public transport. A driver of a large vehicle could save more than $13,380 annually while the driver of a smaller vehicle could save $5,700.

“Even New Zealand commuters who choose to own a car but leave it at home and take public transport can still save.

“When compared with Auckland, it was shown that Wellington commuters have the highest annual commuter costs, at $12,478 per year, however this also means that they are set to save the most with an average annual saving of $10,586 if they choose public transport over owning a car or purchasing a second household car,” he said.

Conservative calculations have been used to identify the car commuter costs. Non-compulsory car insurance and toll road charges have not been costed, while only $1,000 for a whole year of parking has been included.

“The potential savings are obviously dependent on individual circumstances but when you consider that New Zealand CBD parking costs can range from $100 to $410 a month, the savings that can be made by jumping on a train or bus are significant,” Mr Nye continued.

“An added benefit of commuting by public transport is the productive use of time that public transport offers, allowing commuters to spend time on their laptop, mobile, iPod and so on whilst in transit,” Mr Nye concluded.

ENDS

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