For many young people the cost of taking driving lessons, car insurance and owning a car — at a time when Ulez and congestion charges have mean it’s even more costly — makes driving impractical.
The cost of learning has consistently been named as the most important single factor in young people deciding not to drive, according to the National Travel Survey conducted by the Ministry of Transport… More here (paywalled🙁).
It, at first glance, does seem unfortunate that so many young people will not drive until they are well into adulthood, but the reality of today means that it makes perfect sense.
Quick calculation: £300 per month car lease, £150 per month insurance (it’s very high for young people), car tax, servicing, repairs, inconsistent cost of fuel, road charges such as ULEZ and the costs soon add up to most than Uber and other options. With working from home also an option for some, the numbers will only get lower.
And younger people are more likely to consider the planet and have to deal with very high rents etc as well. It’s an unfortunate reality that once again the young suffer for what we have done.