Author Topic: Living without a car  (Read 4991 times)

  • Offline neXus

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Living without a car
on: February 27, 2019, 05:38:38 AM
Someone messaged and asked me how on earth I can survive without a cart. I thought to do this post to just cover that.


There are times of course where having your own car would have been easier, save time (to a degree) and so on but for the most part you do not need one in Sydney. Most people who work do not drive their cars to work for example.


The Problems:


- Its Sydney, the place is packed so the roads around the inner city and its outer ring are quite narrow and there are tunnels in and out of Sydney for nearly every part NSEW.
- Sydney has A LOT of Tolls. Pretty much to leave and enter the city you got to pay Toll fees.
- You think England roads are busy? They just had on the news yesterday that people going from out west to get to the city each day for work spend 13-20 days a year in traffic!
- Parking. If you live closer to the city then out in the middle of no where Most people will not have a Garage. Some will have a shared one as part of an apartment block but most with houses will just have a car port or driveway. Many others will park on the street and for that, even if you live there you have to pay for a permit to not be fined daily by the army of parking martial that exist even in residential areas.
- The tax and fees you have to pay to just drive around is crazy
- The news gives you fuel prices for Sydney and who charges the most and cheapest every day, so it is pretty crazy.


Not owning a car:
Got two kids now and have baby car seat and child car seats. If we need to use a car, take a trip we can hire a car. There are lots of cars from two main companies packed on roads all around and a few close to our home. You simply book in on the app, role up to the car and unlock and your away. You do not have to pay for fuel and have a card if you need to top it up.


Outside of that the trains take you nearly everywhere you go, regular, double decker as well - Sydney has a good train service.
Other things is we just walk. I can even walk to the Opera House in 30 minutes. Things are pretty close.


If you do want take away everything is under one of the delivery services - Uber Eats, Menu Log, Derliveroo for example. Even the fast food chains including KFC and Maccas derliver now. Super market is a 5 minute walk as well.


It is different and like again sometimes you do think "Be easier in a car" But you really do not need one.

  • Offline bear

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #1 on: February 27, 2019, 08:40:22 AM
In Sweden if you live in one of the bigger cities one does need one. I lived in Göteborg for some years and had no car and never thought of buying one.

  • Offline Serious

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #2 on: March 01, 2019, 01:01:29 AM
That is getting more typical for a built up city area.

I live near a lot of local shops, literally at the end of my street. I might go once or twice a week if I really need to. If I need to go further my bro drives. Usually that's at most once a week.

Food I can get delivered, if I want enough of it.

My brother has a car simply because there are no buses on Sunday to the hospital early in the morning.

  • Offline neXus

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #3 on: March 04, 2019, 04:46:17 AM
Housing is also changing.


You get, like we are in a new kind of Terraced house. We have Patio area like an apartment but its a multi floor house on a street. You also get just massive amount of apartments now here in Sydney. New types which even have a garden along with often a shared pool and proper rooftop garden (not just access to the roof) and up to 4 bedroom ones. Simply because of the space.
These will often have a supermarket built into the area or apartment itself and restaurants and small shops in the area.

Re: Living without a car
Reply #4 on: March 08, 2019, 12:53:42 PM
You just can't do this in Sheffield.
The road network is terrible, the busses are unreliable and don't often go where you want them to.  And they're expensive.
Now, if you ask my sister in law who doesn't drive, she'd disagree.  She says she manages fine.  However, she has pretty much trained herself to only go where the bus on her route goes.
If we suggest somewhere to eat that isn't on that route, or another route that's easily walkable, she won't go or begs for a lift.
Same with when you want to go somewhere.  I can jump in the car and go.  She can't.

It's not a problem that is squarely on the shoulders of the council or the transport operators as Sheffield is built in such a way it makes bus operation difficult.
Still doesn't stop them trying to push everyone onto busses still..


  • Offline Bacon

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #5 on: March 09, 2019, 15:04:45 PM
In Exeter a trip from where i was living to PC World is a 4.2 mile trip or 8.4 mile round trip, on an average Saturday, this can take over 2 hours, due to long running road works.
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  • Offline Clock'd 0Ne

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #6 on: March 09, 2019, 18:42:47 PM
You just can't do this in Sheffield.
The road network is terrible, the busses are unreliable and don't often go where you want them to.  And they're expensive.
Now, if you ask my sister in law who doesn't drive, she'd disagree.  She says she manages fine.  However, she has pretty much trained herself to only go where the bus on her route goes.
If we suggest somewhere to eat that isn't on that route, or another route that's easily walkable, she won't go or begs for a lift.
Same with when you want to go somewhere.  I can jump in the car and go.  She can't.

It's not a problem that is squarely on the shoulders of the council or the transport operators as Sheffield is built in such a way it makes bus operation difficult.
Still doesn't stop them trying to push everyone onto busses still..

From what I recall from living there (though its probably changed significantly since) the trams make getting around town fairly easy, does she not use those at all?

Agree 100% the roads are diabolical though, but most cities roads are to be fair. I never drive into Portsmouth and don't often drive into Southampton - even though both are 10 mins away - as getting into them adds another 30-40 mins at the wrong time, parking is extortionate, etc.

That aside, the few times I've not had use of my car and had to do regular chores it has been a nightmare and a part of my soul has died.

Re: Living without a car
Reply #7 on: October 24, 2019, 08:42:17 AM
You just can't do this in Sheffield.
The road network is terrible, the busses are unreliable and don't often go where you want them to.  And they're expensive.
Now, if you ask my sister in law who doesn't drive, she'd disagree.  She says she manages fine.  However, she has pretty much trained herself to only go where the bus on her route goes.
If we suggest somewhere to eat that isn't on that route, or another route that's easily walkable, she won't go or begs for a lift.
Same with when you want to go somewhere.  I can jump in the car and go.  She can't.

It's not a problem that is squarely on the shoulders of the council or the transport operators as Sheffield is built in such a way it makes bus operation difficult.
Still doesn't stop them trying to push everyone onto busses still..

From what I recall from living there (though its probably changed significantly since) the trams make getting around town fairly easy, does she not use those at all?

Agree 100% the roads are diabolical though, but most cities roads are to be fair. I never drive into Portsmouth and don't often drive into Southampton - even though both are 10 mins away - as getting into them adds another 30-40 mins at the wrong time, parking is extortionate, etc.

That aside, the few times I've not had use of my car and had to do regular chores it has been a nightmare and a part of my soul has died.

Nope.  Literally nothing has changed.
Trams are OK if you only want to go to crap places from crap places.  Doesn't go anywhere interesting.

  • Offline matt5cott

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #8 on: October 24, 2019, 12:01:11 PM
I dunno, I've traveled to Sheffield to get off at the Shalesmoor stop quite a few times  :heehaw:

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  • Offline Clock'd 0Ne

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #9 on: October 25, 2019, 07:03:41 AM
You just can't do this in Sheffield.
The road network is terrible, the busses are unreliable and don't often go where you want them to.  And they're expensive.
Now, if you ask my sister in law who doesn't drive, she'd disagree.  She says she manages fine.  However, she has pretty much trained herself to only go where the bus on her route goes.
If we suggest somewhere to eat that isn't on that route, or another route that's easily walkable, she won't go or begs for a lift.
Same with when you want to go somewhere.  I can jump in the car and go.  She can't.

It's not a problem that is squarely on the shoulders of the council or the transport operators as Sheffield is built in such a way it makes bus operation difficult.
Still doesn't stop them trying to push everyone onto busses still..

From what I recall from living there (though its probably changed significantly since) the trams make getting around town fairly easy, does she not use those at all?

Agree 100% the roads are diabolical though, but most cities roads are to be fair. I never drive into Portsmouth and don't often drive into Southampton - even though both are 10 mins away - as getting into them adds another 30-40 mins at the wrong time, parking is extortionate, etc.

That aside, the few times I've not had use of my car and had to do regular chores it has been a nightmare and a part of my soul has died.

Nope.  Literally nothing has changed.
Trams are OK if you only want to go to crap places from crap places.  Doesn't go anywhere interesting.

Is that No.1 Oriental buffet still there, right next to the tram stop?

  • Offline GaviN

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #10 on: December 30, 2019, 19:31:04 PM
old post, but even in uk i dont drive .....dont have a liscense neither do 2 of my sisters..........

Buses in the uk are generally very good..

i live in a area where there is no room for any more cars as do my sisters.......

ive managed and im quite content with public transport.

dont get me wrong when its cold and raining some times i wish...

  • Offline neXus

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #11 on: January 07, 2020, 22:28:53 PM
You just can't do this in Sheffield.
The road network is terrible, the busses are unreliable and don't often go where you want them to.  And they're expensive.
Now, if you ask my sister in law who doesn't drive, she'd disagree.  She says she manages fine.  However, she has pretty much trained herself to only go where the bus on her route goes.
If we suggest somewhere to eat that isn't on that route, or another route that's easily walkable, she won't go or begs for a lift.
Same with when you want to go somewhere.  I can jump in the car and go.  She can't.

It's not a problem that is squarely on the shoulders of the council or the transport operators as Sheffield is built in such a way it makes bus operation difficult.
Still doesn't stop them trying to push everyone onto busses still..


You can not in New Zealand / Auckland either - you HAVE to have a car really or 3 hour bus trip to work etc. Just some places you have too.

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  • Offline Clock'd 0Ne

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #12 on: January 08, 2020, 07:55:15 AM
I've only driven round New Zealand once ages ago but its obvious public transport isn't considered at all. Auckland I seem to remember being inordinately car friendly compared to most big cities, though I don't remember seeing any buses, etc but I assume there must be as its far larger than most New Zealand cities (towns really). :dunno:

  • Offline neXus

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Re: Living without a car
Reply #13 on: January 09, 2020, 02:15:58 AM
Auckland's problem is that they go cheap and have not considered scale. The bridge 2 lanes either side of it are clip on bridge elements developed by a Japanese company because when they first built the bridge they dropped more lanes to save money and even now they have a special truck that moves a barrier to change which direction has more lanes based on the morning and evening traffic.


Over the shore it has been bad and increasingly worse for a while, building LOTS more new homes and not updating the road enough. In saying that though since our last visit there is heaps of development with new turn off's bridges, new roads all being built and big gaps in bridges I always said you could fit another lane in being put in etc.

The main problem was that you had Motoway entrance lanes merging into parts of it with only two lanes already (going from 3 to 2 and then having traffic merging on) which in a few places was nuts and caused a lot of the issues over the shore.
One part they are building a new bridge and road as many people came on to the motorway just to get off at the next junction so when finished they wont even have too any more.

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