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Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 5 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 June 2008. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 July 2008 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Transport: Costs

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus and (c) train since (i) 1979 and (ii) 1997; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of average disposable income represented by such costs in each case in each year.
Answer

[holding answer 10 June 2008]: The following table shows the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling by car, bus and train since 1979 and 1997 compared to 2007 in the UK.

Percentage
(i) 1979 to 2007 (ii) 1997 to 2007
(a) Private car -10 -8
(b) Bus +49 +13
(c) Train +44 +5
Source:
Retail Price Index (Annual)—Office for National Statistics

The changes are against a background of an increase in disposable income of 105 per cent. between 1979 and 2007 and 27 per cent. between 1997 and 2007. The decline in the real term cost of travelling by car reflects the significant impact of the decline in real terms cost of purchasing a vehicle.While the cost of motoring has fallen in real terms, the overall UK expenditure on motoring has increased over this period as, the estimated number of cars per household has increased from 0.75 in 1979, to 1.02 in 1997 and 1.15 in 2006.According to the available data from the Expenditure and Food Survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics, motoring costs were 10 per cent. of household disposable income in 1978, 14 per cent. in 1997-98 and 12 per cent. in 2006.Fares and other travel costs were 3 per cent. of household disposable income in 1978, 2 per cent. in 1997-98 and 2 per cent. in 2006.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
209983; 479 c1049W;479 c1047W
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Costs Travel Transport
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk