Deciding to get rid of car - has anybody?

I remember my mum having this dilemma years ago . She weighed up cost of insurance and tax, service running cost, etc made an approx guess and decided to divide that money by 12 for the monthly amount. She got rid of the car and used the money each month to pay for taxis' if necessary and used buses where possible.

I agree with travelsafar. Do your sums.
However, I would add that public transport may change. Our village has gone, in a few years, from having a regular and reliable service to having one that is infrequent and at the wrong times of day to be helpful. I used to only use my car for 'big trips' now I have to use it for any shopping (I can't cycle any longer)
I would also think about holidays and visiting friends / relatives.
Something you might consider is to get rid of your car, but in a few months' time, hire one for a trip, to keep your driving skills current.
I have friends, in a city with a car club, who book a car once a month to do errands and go places that they can't on pubic transport. I also have friends who have never driven, but who live in places with good public transport links.
I think so much depends on where you live, where you want to go, and what public transport you have

Something you might consider is to get rid of your car, but in a few months' time, hire one for a trip, to keep your driving skills current

Just a word of caution, not all hire companies will permit hire by older drivers, regardless of experience or competence. .

Thanks MawB I did not realise that.

This is something I will have to decide fairly soon and financially it is a no brainer provided I can ride on a bus and tube again as I live in London.

You may have to give more thought to journeys so that one taxi ride will be sufficient.

I would not get that present car MOTed you are on a hiding to nothing with it. The car is what I would call a cash cow.

I wouldn't get rid of the car at the moment as we are not supposed to be using public transport. I wish I had a car so I could go further than walking distance after months of this!

Kangaroo I believe that we have a six months extension to our MOT dates. So if you run out soon, you have another six months to get it tested.
Don't know if this helps.

I wouldn't make that decision yet kangaroo73 You do need to get rid of your existing car but think carefully about not having one at all.
Public transport services may well change after this, taxis are not always available when you want one. Car hire is limited when we reach our seventies.

The plus side don't forget to include parking fees in your sums and the stress of driving .

I would say it depends upon where you live and the places you would normally drive to for meetings, shopping etc.
When our beloved old banger broke down about 2 years ago it would have cost more to repair than the car was worth so we decided to scrap her It was hard - why do we get attached to old bangers

However, we both have bus passes, we live easy walking distance from a decent bus service, the railway station and the town. We had no commitments needing us to drive anywhere and we have not regretted the decision at all.
During this unprecedented time we have missed being able to 'pop out for a little bus ride' but we have survived and, weighing up the cost of tax, insurance, fuel, tyres etc. we would never consider buying another car. Should we need to get anywhere urgently there is the car hire option but we have found amazing deals by rail with no stress of driving.

Consider all those factors - we don't regret our decision but we have plenty of options - you may live somewhere more remote!

A good friend of mine who lives in London got rid of her car about 15 years ago (in her mid fifties) occasionally she hires a car if going somewhere not easily accessible by train.
Do the maths ! Road tax car repairs insurance servicing AA etc versus taxis trains buses.

It makes economic sense to do without it. If you have adequate public transport and a taxi service you could keep up a very good lifestyle.

I go free on all buses in Scotland but in these covid times it's not so easy.

Check out the cost of car hire as our local garage will hire out cars and last time we needed one urgently (ours had broken down at the start of a long journey) it took all of 10 minutes to organise!

I like having a car, partly being independent and not having to rely on public transport but also being helpful to others.

Our current car is a toyota yaris, 2nd hand from the dealer. We have had it 2 years so it's possibly 10 yrs old and it has been brilliant. Road tax is very cheap (too cheap IMO) insurance not bad.
I wish I could afford an electric car. That would be even better.

Let us know what you decide.

I got rid of mine 13 months ago. Deciding factor was my increasing phobia/panic attacks about driving leading up to that time. That all seemed to be tied in with a thyroid condition which seems much improved now so I am going to have another try with a driving instructor. For this last year we have managed fine even though DH doesn’t drive, walking, buses and my trusty senior citizens railcard. If I do ok with the driving instructor I won’t buy another car but borrow my DDs as and when. She is aware of the plan!

The public transport here is practically non existent, for example one (yes, one) bus a week to Holsworthy. There are more to Barnstaple, I believe!

I'm still working 3 days a week, only about 2.7 miles from home, but I wouldn't consider walking, no pavements.

So, will continue to run a car.

I gave my car away and did not renew my licence for two reasons, One, my neck is so stiff I had difficulty with right turns. Two, the sort of use I got from my car it was an expensive luxury.

I decided last year to give up my car, lasted 18 hours then bought another one.

MOTs have a 6 month extension,as someone has already said,so try to manage without the car for a couple of months to see if you can manage without. The cost of running a car is a lot of taxis a month.

First read this as ‘getting rid of cat’!!!!

Depends so much on where you live, taxis, public transport etc and as previously mentioned hire car options get a bit limited with increasing age.

Never had one Legs for walking cycle And public transport if too far away
About half my friends of my age have got rid of their car others still using them

If you live in a town, it may be a good idea.

Think carefully if you live somewhere quite isolated.

I think you might just be creating more problems by buying a run-about unless you know the previous owner - better the devil you know!! As advised above I would think it really depends on how good your public transport is and what family back up you have. I have a bus stop I can see out my front window and have like Grammaretto travelled free by myself visiting family all over Scotland and also with friends on days out. I enjoy driving and am the only driver in my group of friends so am always last home! My ambition is to keep driving until I'm 80 and as my DGS will be 17 that year I can hand over my car to him.

I live in a town, and gave up my 8yo car (so my daughter could have it) a few years ago, getting to work by bus. Because we shared it, she had it normally, but if I had to go somewhere awkward she'd bring it back for the day or weekend. She was living 100 miles away.
Then my granddaughter was born the same year I retired, and train was a very awkward journey. So daughter got my old car full-time and I got a new car so that I could drive back late at night.
Before I retired I deliberately downsized to a flat that's walking distance from the shops and doctor's surgery, near several very frequent bus routes and a ten minute walk from the train station, so I was able to do as much as possible as flexibly as possible. Currently I have a bus pass, but worry this concession disappear.

I would move heaven and earth to keep a car. To me it is freedom. We are fairly well served by buses but they only go to specific places not necessarily where I want to go.

I sold my car when I moved to a place with good public transport thinking I'd do my bit for the environment. I bought a bike which I enjoy. Excellent bike lanes here. I get a cab once in a blue moon eg when I have heavy parcels to bring home and have groceries and furniture delivered. Took a few weeks to get used to but works well for me.

Regarding your MOT, the extensions were given for cars due to be tested during lockdown. This rule does not apply now. Best to check your car status on DVLA website.My car was due this month and had to be tested this month.

If you can't afford to run and maintain your car it is a
no-brainer get rid of it.
If you live in the UK your bus transport is taken care of, you can also get deals on the trains if you have a disability like wearing an hearing aid. My husband has his rail card and I can also travel at the same rate when traveling with him.
Don't forget walking, this could get you fit.
Purchasing a bike is also a good idea if you know how to cycle.