Austrians spend more money on their favorite toy than on groceries! Purchase, operating expenses, insurance, accessories – it’s all right. The Austrians invested no less than 21.3 billion euros in their cars and motorcycles last year. The road from individual to collective transport is therefore still long and bumpy.
This is the result of an ongoing investigation into private household expenses by the network of advisers “Kreutzer Fischer & Partner”. Their analysis in a few words: “If the transformation from individual to collective transport is to succeed, a denser public transport network, longer driving times and shorter intervals alone will probably not be enough. Rather, you would have to convince a significant part of the population to do it without own car.”
Higher expenditure than all consumer goods combined
At this point, however, a central problem arises: owning a car is and will remain an integral part of the lifestyle. It is therefore much more than “just” a means of transport. The Austrians pay a lot for that too. Every year we spend 1.5 billion euros more on cars than on groceries (including non-alcoholic drinks) and about as much as on clothing, household items, electronics and sporting goods combined.
And investment continues to rise. Compared to 2020, this represents an increase of 8.1 percent, partly due to rising fuel prices, which will continue to rise this year. The car was also more often in the garage at the height of the pandemic. Incidentally, of the 21.3 billion mentioned at the beginning, only 6.6 billion went to purchase – the much larger part consists of operating costs (fuel, oil, insurance and repair).
Public transport lags far behind
In contrast, spending on public transport is downright nebbich – a comparison: the Austrians spend 2.6 billion on transport by bus and train. That equates to about a third of what is spent on auto insurance and taxes alone. Despite the new climate map and the public transport offensive, the car remains a bestseller. . .
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
