Insight on the future of cycling infrastructure in Birmingham.
Leading cycle retailer and manufacturer Ribble Cycles, has undertaken independent research into the cost of commuting to work in Birmingham.
The research found that in Birmingham the petrol and parking expenses for driving into work is costing commuters an average of £1,356.46 per year.
Figures obtained by thge company from Just Park, Europe’s leading provider of pre-bookable parking, revealed that in Birmingham the average cost of parking at work is a staggering £870 each year. This is in addition to the average £486.46 per year a commuter can expect to pay on petrol in Birmingham according to the Department of Energy.
The study revealed that the cost of commuting by car goes beyond affecting our own pockets – with the average Birmingham commuter responsible for 1122.48 kgCO2e in carbon dioxide emissions each year by driving into work. The annual cost of public transport can be just as expensive, costing on average £858 for commuters in Birmingham.
Matthew Lawson, Chief Marketing Officer, at Ribble Cycles said: “The cost of commuting to work each day in Birmingham is expensive, and with petrol and rail fare prices increasing, it is set to get worse. Many commuters feel this is an unavoidable cost, but it needn’t be if they opt to cycle to work instead.
“There are many employers in Birmingham that offer great cycle to work schemes, which let you pay for a bike in small installments each month, making owning a bike much more affordable. Independent group Push Bikes, which campaigns for better cycling in Birmingham, is an excellent example of how cycling is being made even more accessible.”
Birmingham City Council’s Cycle Revolution scheme aims to have 5% off all trips in the city made by bike by 2023 in an attempt to make Birmingham greener, safer, healthier and less congested. Over 50 km of canal towpath has been resurfaced and £62 million invested in cycling to create better cycling routes.
Beccy Marston, West Midlands Operations Manager, of BikeRight!, the UK’s largest cycle training and development company, remarked how the introduction of the ‘Cycle Revolution’ scheme had encouraged many residents to take to their bikes instead of driving. “Over the last four years we have cycle trained over 5000 adults in the West Midlands, many of whom have gone on to use their bikes not just for leisure but also for travel. It’s great to see the level of investment in cycle infrastructure, that twinned with our cycle and maintenance training is the real key to make people realise just how easy, fun and healthy riding to work can be.”
