Transport
Pollution
Emissions associated with transport represent a significant proportion of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. A major contributor is the private car, which also cause congestion, land use, poor air quality, injuries and death. Our transport decisions ultimately impact on all of those around us - including those we care about most.
For information on how you can reduce fuel consumption and pollution when driving, refer to our Saving Petrol Worksheet.
Hidden costs of Private Car ownership
Travel by car, particularly to work, is often a tradeoff between convenience and cost. But what are the costs?
Health Costs - The importance of fitness
If your journey can be completed by bicycle, then every car trip robs your body of a chance to exercise. People who exercise regularly have better resilience to stress and depression (Salmon, 2001), whilst sitting in traffic has been anecdotally linked to high blood pressure, and (no surprises here) traffic congestion has been formally linked to stress (Hennessy D., & Wiesenthal, 1997). On the other hand, commuting as little as 3km has been shown to be as useful as specialist training for increasing fitness (Hendriksen, 2000). An electric bike can help overcome beginner cyclist opposition to riding up hills.
Opportunity Costs - Productive use of time
We encourage Sydney residents and people everywhere to carefully evaluate transport options in terms of the 'total cost'. Often a car journey considered in isolation can appear inexpensive, but when the productive use of time and maintenance costs are considered, alternatives may be more attractive
For example, an hour spent in traffic may not be as productive as reading and laptop use on connecting train journeys of 70 minutes. At the same time, a train journey reacquaints us with our community - we come in contact with people of varied cultural backgrounds, and become more aware of both the talent and problems in our city.
Opportunity Costs - Maintenance hassles
In addition to wasting valuable time during the trip, car owners must allocate time out of their day to:
- purchase a vehicle, including browsing newspapers, test drives etc;
- sell the vehicle, including fielding telephone calls;
- visit mechanics for services and required work;
- visit tyre and other essential accessory retailers;
- wash the vehicle on a regular basis;
- replace damaged parts such as windscreens, wipers; and
- search for parking spaces.
Raw costs - The financial burden of car ownership
The financial pressures of owning a vehicle are many. In some cases, it can be more economical to move away from suburbs with poor transport options to more expensive but more accessible areas. Some of the financial burdens include:
- periodical replacement of tyres;
- repair of panels damaged by accidents or hail;
- insurance costs;
- cleaning products or car wash charges;
- routine service charges, including oil;
- loss of value at time of resale (depreciation);
- petrol;
- finance costs (if applicable);
- unplanned replacement of failed items, such as radiators;
- parking.
Often unexpected failure of key components such as clutches, gearboxes or radiators can place extreme financial stress on families that have not investigated alternative transport options.
Many families find that even if they regularly use taxis for shopping or other emergencies, the total cost is still less than annual car ownership outlays.
Useful Links
Public Transport Planner - Plan your trip with 131500
Electric Bicycles
References
Hendriksen, I., Zuiderveld, B., Kemper, H.,& Bezemer, P. (2000) "Effect of commuter cycling on physical performance of male and female employees", Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 32(2):504, February 2000.
Hennessy D., & Wiesenthal D. (1997) "The relationship between traffic congestion, driver stress and direct versus indirect coping behaviours", Ergonomics, 40 (3), March 1997
Salmon, Peter (2001) "Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: A unifying theory". Clinical Psychology Review 21 (1)
