In addition to the climate crisis, another argument is increasingly emerging for switching from your own car to public transport: namely the costs. While according to a current calculation, the costs of public transport have hardly increased recently, those for private cars have risen considerably. The high share of SUVs contributes to inflation.
While the average spending of a car household is a quarter higher this year than in 2019, costs for households without a car rose by 12 percent, the union-affiliated Momentum Institute calculated on Thursday. While a car household spent an average of 570 euros on ownership, maintenance and costs in August 2019, this has already risen to 714 euros this year.
Public transport is unbeatable considering the price
Fuel costs about 37 percent more than four years ago, you had to pay 31 percent more to purchase a car and 34 percent more to purchase car tires, Momentum economist Alexander Huber explains in a press release. By comparison: the price of bicycles increased by 13 percent, which is 10 percentage points below the average general price increase of 23 percent.
Prices for local public transport have only increased by one percent in the past four years, and prices for train journeys have increased by four percent.
Households without a car save a lot
In general, it can be said that households without a car spend significantly less money on transport. “In August 2023, they spent an average of only 84 euros per month on their mobility. That is eight times less than car owners,” says Huber.
SUVs make the situation worse
Individual car use and car choice play an important role. The VCÖ recently calculated that almost two-thirds of people who commute to Vienna live less than three kilometers from a train stop. Since 2015, the share of SUVs, which generally have higher fuel consumption and a higher new price than comparable large sedans and station wagons, has doubled.
Especially men and parents who travel by car
According to a survey by the ÖAMTC in August, 40 percent of parents think they need a car to go to kindergarten. Only 30 percent take their children to childcare on foot. “Eleven percent use bicycles and scooters, six percent use public transport,” says ÖAMTC traffic psychologist Marion Seidenberger. The online car dealer AutoScout24 today presented a survey (sample: 500 people) showing that every second respondent commutes to work or training by car. This is especially true for men and people with children.
Climate ticket causes a boom for the railways
Austrians are already hardworking public transport drivers, the VCÖ announced on Thursday. In this country, more than twice as many kilometers per person are traveled by train, BIM and metro than the EU average. “With 1,625 kilometers per person per year, Austria is the EU rail champion, while Switzerland leads the rest of Europe with 1,720 kilometers,” says the transport club. The climate ticket in particular is likely to be partly responsible for the boom.
And what happens at the gas stations? Fuel prices in Austria have risen since August. According to E-Control’s current fuel price calculator, a liter of diesel cost an average of 1,799 euros yesterday, for Super the price was 1,727 euros.
The supply of cheap cars is shrinking
The number of new registrations has also increased. Between January and July 2023, 144,256 new cars were registered in Austria. This is an increase of 15.7 percent compared to the same period last year. The share of alternatively powered cars – electric and hybrid – was 46.2 percent. According to a July study by Deutsche Bank Research, the supply of cheap cars is shrinking at the same time.
The reasons given are the increasingly scarce supply of used cars and the concentration of German manufacturers in the premium segment. The new Euro7 sales standard scheduled for 2025 will make new cars with combustion engines even more expensive and the trend towards electromobility will further limit the supply of combustion engines.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
