Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
<<  1    2  >>
New Topic New Poll New Reply
Author: Subject: Cheapest transport option (with conditions...)
jps

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:14 PM Reply With Quote
Cheapest transport option (with conditions...)

Interested in getting some alternative perspectives on this with, as always, the emphasis on 'locost'...!

I have a transport conundrum. One day a week I have to take my son to nursery, which comprises a 4 mile trip each way. Initially I used public transport (buses) to do this but thanks to their inability to stick to a timetable/enable me to make a connection I typically found the journey was taking roughly an hour each way and I was having to walk about half of the distance.

Last autumn I bought a car (S reg 1.7 Ford Puma), not fancying the prospect of walking a couple of miles in winter weather with toddler in pushchair. But the car is only needed for this journey. Hence, since I bought the car I've only put fuel in it twice, it must be close to 6 months since I bought it!!

The car cost me 1k (which i didnt mind as it's a rare 'no rust' one and has done under 70k). I've had to spend a couple of hundred quid on it since (new starter, new tyre) but it seems to run OK as far as I can tell, although who knows what the next MOT may throw up...

But I am paying out a good couple of hundred quid on insurance and the same again on tax.

Convenience is great, the journey is now about 10-15 mins each way, depending on traffic. But pound for mile the cost seems fairly crazy.

What would you do in this situation?

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
austin man

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:22 PM Reply With Quote
Buy a cheap classic car and get it on a classic policy, potentially zero to tax it and less than £200 to insure





Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
ste

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:27 PM Reply With Quote
Taxi
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Agriv8

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:38 PM Reply With Quote
Bike with kidi carrier on back depending how busy roads are terain.

Taxi when weather not good

Cheep abs keeps you fit.





Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a tree full of a*seholes .............


View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
SteveWalker

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:40 PM Reply With Quote
For the convenience, I'd probably stick with the car. If I needed to save money, I'd consider a bike with a child seat - although with three children in my case, that'd be a bit impractical
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
loggyboy

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:44 PM Reply With Quote
Stick with it. Sometimes convenience is costly, but necessary.





Mistral Motorsport

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
perksy

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:57 PM Reply With Quote
Cheaper to run car ?

Bus ?

Pushbike ?

Taxi ? But that might be expensive depending on where you are...

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
coyoteboy

posted on 9/3/15 at 08:59 PM Reply With Quote
Bike with a kid carrier every time unless you live out on massive main roads (even large main roads are OK when there's heavy traffic).

Other than that - walk? It's only 4 miles - less than an hour each way?






View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
SteveWalker

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:04 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Bike with a kid carrier every time unless you live out on massive main roads (even large main roads are OK when there's heavy traffic).

Other than that - walk? It's only 4 miles - less than an hour each way?


With a young child, considerably more than an hour! Even at an hour, that's 4 hours a day just walking back and forth twice in the day, I don't think I'd fancy that myself.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
HowardB

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:04 PM Reply With Quote
can you lift share?





Howard

Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Slimy38

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:19 PM Reply With Quote
Motorbike and sidecar? Might need a bit of setup costs if you've not got a licence, but insurance, tax, mot etc are a fraction of a car. Even my 600cc bike is £50 insurance and £50 tax a year.

Put something together on a 2 stroke engine and you get 100+mpg, you'll be filling it up once a year!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
jps

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:22 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by SteveWalker
For the convenience, I'd probably stick with the car. If I needed to save money, I'd consider a bike with a child seat - although with three children in my case, that'd be a bit impractical


I did consider one of these, realistically its a proper all weather option in which to transport the boy (I cycle to work every other day so don't mind the rain, etc myself): http://www.dutchbike.co.uk/family1.htm not cheap though!

But from a cost point of view a 'simple child seat on bike / taxi when it's pissing down' arrangement feels like the most sensible...

Although my heart says 'get a classic' my head says "it would end up a money pit"...

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
jps

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:25 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
Motorbike and sidecar? Might need a bit of setup costs if you've not got a licence, but insurance, tax, mot etc are a fraction of a car. Even my 600cc bike is £50 insurance and £50 tax a year.

Put something together on a 2 stroke engine and you get 100+mpg, you'll be filling it up once a year!


Ooh! I've got a full licence but on an automatic (did my test on a 125 twist and go Vespa, which they were good enough to believe qualified as a powerful enough bike to grant me a proper licence)... I'll sell it to the missus on a Wallace and Gromit slant..!

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
steve m

posted on 9/3/15 at 09:40 PM Reply With Quote
Sort out a closer Nursery ?





Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at




View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Simon

posted on 9/3/15 at 10:01 PM Reply With Quote
or sell the kid

I bet the cost of the bus wasn't much cheaper than what you pay annually for pleasure of car ownership, plus you can use it for other things too, and at the end of the day it has a resale value.

ATB

Simon






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Norfolkluegojnr

posted on 9/3/15 at 10:26 PM Reply With Quote
Car all the way. Safety first, bikes ( push or motor) are asking for trouble with little people.

I have a 3 year old and know how you feel. Is the insurance tpft? Maybe sell up and buy something at the bottom of its value?

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
cliftyhanger

posted on 10/3/15 at 07:31 AM Reply With Quote
I don't think a tax-free classic is the way to go. ou may find one at sub 1k that could be reliable and not need fettling, but most require regular care. However, insurance is usually sub £100, so running costs would reduce. And depreciation would be negligible, or even increase in value. Fuel cost may increase slightly. BUT the reliability factor is the big one.
Car share/regular lift would be ideal. I wouldn't want to be using buses etc as I hate waiting........
Taxi is similar cost I expect to running the car, but the car is so convenient. Bike? no chance. I sometimes fear for my own life. Let alone having a child with me.

Of course, the best solution may be to use the Kit............

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Ivan

posted on 10/3/15 at 07:44 AM Reply With Quote
Reliant Robin or Bond Bug - just don't corner too hard!
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
coyoteboy

posted on 10/3/15 at 08:21 AM Reply With Quote
quote:

Safety first, bikes ( push or motor) are asking for trouble with little people.



Yep, you can expect to die once in 29 million miles of cycling according to the latest stats. Tough odds to deal with!






View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
Staple balls

posted on 10/3/15 at 08:40 AM Reply With Quote
Pushbike + sprog seat, Flog the puma, dump funds into kit, get excuse to go out for a drive at least once a week
View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
whitestu

posted on 10/3/15 at 08:44 AM Reply With Quote
[quote/]
Yep, you can expect to die once in 29 million miles of cycling according to the latest stats. Tough odds to deal with!



I should be safe for a few more years then!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
geoff shep

posted on 10/3/15 at 09:07 AM Reply With Quote
Have you looked at more specialist insurers who might do limited mileage cover?






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Norfolkluegojnr

posted on 10/3/15 at 09:08 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
quote:

Safety first, bikes ( push or motor) are asking for trouble with little people.



Yep, you can expect to die once in 29 million miles of cycling according to the latest stats. Tough odds to deal with!


I think its generally accepted you can expect to die once in general.

Each to their own, but personally i've seen three serious bike accidents (one fatal), and two people knocked off push bikes in my 11 years of driving. And yes, I have a push bike and a bike license (rode for 10 years before having kids), but i don't think its where children belong.

Why take the risk?

Anyway, its too bl**dy cold at the moment for cycling

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Irony

posted on 10/3/15 at 09:15 AM Reply With Quote
I briefly considered building a electric motorbike/car with very limited mileage. I live 16 miles from work and I reckon my boss could be persuaded to let me charge it at work. I would only need a 32 mile range. Depending on where you live and the speed limits of the route you could buy a used milk float!
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
coozer

posted on 10/3/15 at 11:17 AM Reply With Quote
Cheap small car, old 106 or Saxo?

Or, moving the nursery closer or the base closer to the nursery?

Its all about convenience, dragging a toddler around is no fun. They don't understand transport just want to get there with as little hassle.

Our grand bairn, lively 3 year old goes to the work nursery where her parents work. Now the rub is access, as non government workers we are not allowed through the gate never mind anywhere near the crech! That means only mammy and daddy are allowed to drop her off and pick her up.





1972 V8 Jago

1980 Z750

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
<<  1    2  >>
New Topic New Poll New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.