The post you are reporting:
The problem is this:
If you are lucky enough to live in a place where public transport is good and don't need to carry lots of stuff around, owning a car is really optional. The cost of regular train or bus use, plus occasional car hire, can compare favourably with the total cost of car ownership.
But:
There are many reasons people actually need a car (as opposed to having a choice in the matter).
1. You have a business and need to transport goods or people on a regular basis.
2. You live in a village where public transport is poor. e.g. in our village there are no buses on Sundays, and the nearest shop is 3 miles away.
3. Your job requires it.
Once you own a car, the marginal cost of additional use is a fraction of the cost of public transport so you are going to use the car for everything. Examples: To get two of us from Eythorne to Dover and back on the bus costs over £8. Using the car, the fuel cost is under £3. For two of us to travel weekly between Dover and Farnham on the train, to fit in with our working hours, is £85 return (cheapest on thetrainline.com advance purchase) and takes 3 1/2 hours each way. In the car we can do it in an hour and 40 minutes each way for £26 worth of fuel. The cost of an on-street parking permit in Farnham is £50 a year or £1 a week, i.e. peanuts.
Even making no allowance for the time saved, the accumulated savings from using the car vs public transport (for essential use) are therefore ample to cover the entire running costs of the vehicle and the more discretionary use you make of it, the greater the savings are. And once you have a car, and are going to use it, the choice between going to a free out-of-town supermarket car park or paying £2.40 for 2 hours in the town centre becomes a no-brainer.
