I Live in a City: Do I Really Need a Car?

Urban living is an aspirational goal for many, being a perfect mix of convenience and thrill. Living in a city affords you a quick and simple commute to work and proximity to a vibrant culture and nightlife. The convenience of city life often precludes you from considering such a thing as private transport, but there are situations in which owning a car can be undeniably helpful.

If you are considering getting your driving license soon, you might have already struggled with the question of whether or not car ownership is worthwhile in a city centre environment. Here are some key considerations that you might make, in service of making an informed decision on whether or not to take the plunge.

Public Transport

One of the main detracting points with respect to urban car ownership relates to urban transport infrastructure. Many cities are difficult to navigate by car and expensive to boot. Meanwhile, purpose-built public transport systems are effective and inexpensive all in one. Cities with tram systems like Manchester and Sheffield are easy to get across for a low daily cost. Driving, however, can become costly.

London is a powerful example of how costly urban driving can become, with Sadiq Khan’s recent expansion of the ULEZ to encompass all London boroughs. While most cars fall below the emissions threshold that triggers the £12.50 daily rate, older bangers have become a costly inner-city drive. There’s also the non-trivial matter of city centre parking, which can get expensive without a dedicated private space for your vehicle.

Cost of Car Ownership

The major factor, that tends to take precedence when thinking about joining the driving population, is money. Car ownership is not necessarily an inexpensive thing, but in certain cases, it may well be cheaper overall than the alternatives. The key costs to track, as well as the upfront cost of purchase, are fuel and insurance.

Geography plays an undeniable part here, too. Seeking out a common used car brand like Peugeot in Manchester might be cheaper than doing so in London, for a number of reasons. The car itself might be cheaper in certain dealerships, the car might be cheaper to insure than in other cities, and even petrol can be cheaper.

Convenience and Lifestyle

Finally, there is the simple matter of convenience. Will owning a car as a city-dweller make your life easier? Some might find the opposite, where regular maintenance and servicing can actually get in the way of certain freedoms afforded to urban life. Others, though, might find the provision of a car transformative in terms of travel convenience.

Continuing with Manchester as an example, Greater Manchester sprawls out across many different boroughs, and travel between them might be cheaper and more efficient in a car than via attempts to use public transport. The tram system is near-faultless, and Andy Burnham’s franchising of Manchester bus systems is commendable – but if you have family in Cheshire and in Blackley, driving will ultimately make more sense than contrived public transport journeys with multiple transfers.