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Car trips 'costing billions'

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Published Date: 20 October 2006
A STUDY carried out in the Capital has discovered that British companies are losing billions of pounds a year by taking business trips by car instead of travelling by train.
The research, carried out by Napier University's Transport Research Institute, found that on typical intercity journeys, car travel is 37 per cent more expensive than taking the train.

In some cases, employers could be missing out on up to £144 on a single journey if employees take the car, the study claimed.

The research compared the costs involved in travelling by train and car - including the time lost that employees could spend working on a train. Professor Howard Kirby, who led the research at Napier University, said: "This study shows that productivity on a train can save employers significant amounts.

"This is an important policy area for government too - something they should be considering when evaluating rail schemes, such data having not been available before."

A spokesman for Virgin Trains, which commissioned the research, said trains would become even more cost effective when continuous mobile communications such as Wi-Fi are rolled out.



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1

Alexander,

Edinburgh 20/10/2006 18:31:33

Yes, but they forgot the taxi to get to the station and the hire of a car at the other end to get to the jobs!

2

Andrew,

Cumbernauld 20/10/2006 19:53:34

Q. When is a statistic not a statistic?
A. When the given statistic statistically states only the given statistic's statistic! (ie the answer that's required)!!!
YES, I'm getting a little bored and totally fed up with all the 'surveys' based on statistic that are reported for purely statistical purposes!!!

3

David n' Goliath,

Edinburgh 21/10/2006 00:27:11

Statistically speaking more Edinburgh people would use the train if there was a suburban railway for the north and south of the city. People require local stations. Waverley and Haymarket are a very expensive taxi fare away, or a non connecting slow bus service away from most city residents.

I live in the middle of North Edinburgh. Because houses and flats are so expensive here neighbours have moved out to Falkirk for more affordable housing and yet they find they can get to central Edinburgh more easily and quicker from Falkirk than from Trinity.

4

Grandpa,

Midlothian 21/10/2006 12:27:56

Where can I get a copy Napier's survey? They must have access to train fares not available to the rest of us!!
My wife and I plan to make a round trip to Barons Court in London from Midlothian by car. The fixed costs (depreciation/tax/insurance/AA) are not relevant as those payments have been made. So the total cost is the running cost (fuel/tyres) of £0.19 per mile or about £150 return for two. I challenge Napier to find a cheaper way to make the trip by taxi/train/taxi for two!

5

Allan,

edinburgh 24/10/2006 08:17:26

The critics are mistaken. The full door-to-door costs were considered including value of travel time to a business. William has grossly underestimated the costs of car travel but if he really wants an 800-mile round trip by car when train is cheaper and quicker, that's his decision.


 

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