High costs of commuting to CBD.

[GASWAGON]

Just found this article and it rings true to anyone that drives to the city to work instead of using public transport..... I have recently been using buses and trains myself because I lost my license and have come to the conclusion that it is much cheaper burning up someone elses fuel, tyres and brakes and servicing costs than driving yourself....And that is besides the woeful traffic conditions!

Luckily even though I live in a country town ther are still buses to two different train stations on opposite sides of the hills.

This article is saying most of us are spending up to 15-20k per year on each car which sounds about right if you pay someone for servicing and repairs... And your car payments too.

I do most of my servicing myself

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/hi...211-2z6g0.html

[Giant Cranium]

company car. $0 a year.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

company car. $0 a year.

Well ar'nt you lucky!

[|||]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

company car. $0 a year.

if your employer convinced you of that i want to shake his hand

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by |||

if your employer convinced you of that i want to shake his hand

at what im paid as a carpenter im about 15k in front of other carpenters plus a car. so yeh i do think im in front. also use about $250 a week in juice and am driving a newer car than i could be able to afford. but i do see how it has nothing to do with the article

[BDA074]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

company car. $0 a year.

I have a company car and was paid a parking allowance but still couldn't justify driving... Was better off keeping the parking money and paying for a weekly train ticket once I factored in tolls.

I can't currently drive to work as fast as public transport either.

Have given the company car back for cash equivilant now, much better off...

[XRSIKS]

I just spent a week in Melbourne with my family, staying just near the zoo. I cannot understand why more people don't use the public transport system! (Other than the fear of being mugged) It is amazing!

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by INTOXIC8D

I just spent a week in Melbourne with my family, staying just near the zoo. I cannot understand why more people don't use the public transport system! (Other than the fear of being mugged) It is amazing!

That side the public transport is fine. The trams are bloody good to get into the CBD. Mind you the northern suburbs public system reliability are pretty good from what I've seen (except some of the morons that get on there).

It seems people that live in the SE suburbs get really bad services etc.

[Wretched]

I catch public transport each day to and from work because it is far cheaper and easier to get to Melbourne CBD than driving.
I don't have the hassle of having to pay for parking or fuel, maintenance, etc.
Ok i have to put up with the unreliability of the system but far better than peak hour traffic.

I pay $185 for my ticket per month and I worked out to drive to work would cost me around $900 a month (fuel, parking and regular maintenance).

[DTFRMONT]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I catch public transport each day to and from work because it is far cheaper and easier to get to Melbourne CBD than driving.

Especially when early bird parking can be anything up to 20 bucks a day. Been a year since I drove to work, used to drive in once every couple of weeks or so before my office moved to Docklands. Takes longer to drive there, even though the distance isn't much further, and the parking has gone up from $12 a day to $18 a day in 18 months.... Much cheaper & easier to train it in.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Wretched

I catch public transport each day to and from work because it is far cheaper and easier to get to Melbourne CBD than driving.
I don't have the hassle of having to pay for parking or fuel, maintenance, etc.
Ok i have to put up with the unreliability of the system but far better than peak hour traffic.

I pay $185 for my ticket per month and I worked out to drive to work would cost me around $900 a month (fuel, parking and regular maintenance).

I guess it depends where you live, and what line you take and your health, catching a bus to a train station then often standing up on a train for 25 minutes during peak hour and having a bunch of loud school kids screaming / jumping around.......... I would rather neck meself than use public transport........ that said its not a bad service in off peak times, I would love to see them spend big bucks on the public transport,,,,, I mean a really truly big one off spendathon and make it and so good that even cranky old fart car drivers(like myself ) would flock to it, if I was pm this I would do, and make it dirt cheap to boot with a one price, no zoning bullshit..... and everyone gets a seat !

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by mik

I guess it depends where you live, and what line you take and your health, catching a bus to a train station then often standing up on a train for 25 minutes during peak hour and having a bunch of loud school kids screaming / jumping around.......... I would rather neck meself than use public transport........ that said its not a bad service in off peak times, I would love to see them spend big bucks on the public transport,,,,, I mean a really truly big one off spendathon and make it and so good that even cranky old fart car drivers(like myself ) would flock to it, if I was pm this I would do, and make it dirt cheap to boot with a one price, no zoning bullshit..... and everyone gets a seat !

Unfortunately I am in the SE Suburbs of Melbourne.
I agree with what you say dealing with school kids and the like can be painful, fortunately I decided to start work later in the day and miss catching the train with them. Cause I am closer to the end of the line getting a seat is no issue for me either.

[poppa smurf]

yep! Commuting is killing me......that 20 metre walk to my workshop can be a killer at peak hour.......I met 3 people on the way just this morning, took me an hour and a half until we ran out of things to talk about, getting worse every year.

[Kable72]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

yep! Commuting is killing me......that 20 metre walk to my workshop can be a killer at peak hour.......I met 3 people on the way just this morning, took me an hour and a half until we ran out of things to talk about, getting worse every year.

Hate you so bad. Morning takes me about 12 minutes but the drive home after work is right on the shift change for the alumina plants around so it takes me like an hour to get home.

[baboon]

Public transport.. just remember to sell the car, or keep it unregistered!

[Franco Cozzo]

Plus its nice to whizz across the countryside in a nice VLine train, with the comfy seats, and join the gray army in their suits and plugging away at their laptops.

[jpblue1000]

I moved into the CBD 12 months ago and can say the additional savings of not even having to use public transport allows me another toy car!

Most assesments I have seen over the last decade seem to suggest on average a new car costs about $1 per kilometer travelled.

JP

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

I moved into the CBD 12 months ago and can say the additional savings of not even having to use public transport allows me another toy car!

Most assesments I have seen over the last decade seem to suggest on average a new car costs about $1 per kilometer travelled.

JP

$1 is a stretch, i do 40000k a year, cant see the ve costing that much

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

$1 is a stretch, i do 40000k a year, cant see the ve costing that much

Yeah I exaggerated a bit.
RACQ 2013 published guide suggests the equivalent to a VE
(VF Commodore) Costs 79.07c/km
Ford FG Mk2 Falcon XT 4.0L 6sp Auto 4dr sedan 88.16 c/km and
Toyota Aurion AT-X V6 3.5L 6sp Auto 4dr sedan 85.35c/km

have a look here. scary stuff!

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars...2013#largecars

JP

[GASWAGON]

Just spoke to guy after selling him my garden shredder.....He lives an hour north west of melbourne and spends $250 a week on fuel alone in an Outlander.....Ludicrous!

[XRSIKS]

CBD Melbourne.... Anyone got a job that someone with 10 years of retail management could do? :P trying to convince my wife its a good idea to get out of his hole LOL

[Giant Cranium]

Read down the bottom and it's over 15000k. Gets cheaper by k the more u do.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

Read down the bottom and it's over 15000k. Gets cheaper by k the more u do.

your right but I did say its an average, not to suit every scenario but an average of all scenarios.

While it will get cheaper per Km you do more Km's it costs more still scary numbers


JP

[BF-2K7]

I'm 5km's from Sydney's CBD now and have a factory LPG ute, takes me no time to get in and out. Cheap as chips to get around town.

I don't have the average job tho, I start work @ 10am (well after peak traffic) and finish at varying times at night (usually 7 or 8pm but can be as late as midnight) so traffic isn't a worry nor is parking as I have ample parking at work.

Just like jpblue1000 I moved from the country (Wollongong) to save on fuel driving up and down the Princes Hwy at all hours of the day and night (fog was particularly bad over Bulli tops in winter)

Wasn't a hard decision to make, the savings on fuel (I had a EA wagon & a SWB Econovan at that time) wear and tear is reduced too, but rego sucks, as they slug you on your greenslip for living in the inner city.

All in all not a huge amount to keep my BF on the road and get into the CBD. Public transport is out as I have to deliver delicate sound & lighting equipment to venues.

My suggestion is weigh up the pro's and cons of moving closer to your work, and don't loose your licence! it's an essential MUST these days.

[XR Martin]

I walk to work...

But I was at the Sydney airport the other week wondering how you can afford to live anywhere near there while working at Mcdonalds?

[MercurySilver]

I'm glad I'm three streets and 17kms away from work in a rural setting.
Drove in to Adelaide cbd last weekend.
Road works, can't turn right, trams etc etc.
I lost my *****....
Never again

[GASWAGON]

I have a job interview tmrw at 10am.......Goin to walk 200m down the street to bus stop at 8.20am.....30min bus ride to train station.....change to another bus then another 30min drive and get dropped off 500m from the street that the job is in!

All for about $4 return on the Myki card.....Was goin to get missus to drive me but its just not worth it.

[Simple6]

When in Sydney I used to ride a push bike to the train station then have a 20min train ride to work. All up time was 30mins or so. Would cost $120/month and I got daily exercise in too.

Drive a car? 45-60mins. Add wear, tear and fuel. Add $5/day parking. So just with parking I was at $100/math, then add however much fuel I went through.....and it takes longer.

You've also got to add in the mental side of it. I found it great for a wind down at the end of the day and relaxing on the way in for the morning. No traffic stress - someone else is driving you to work.

I recommend trains to everyone. If Darwin had trains, I'd be on them.

[zilo]

I don't care what it costs to run a car.
I will sell my kids and mother in law to pay for it if need be.

I want my own space, not sharing it with some dero coughing all over me or some twit on his iphone shouting in my ear.

Different socioeconomic on public transport..generally losers.

Sorry...hate public transport with a passion.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by zilo

Different socioeconomic on public transport..generally losers.

Speak for yourself.