Deciding to get rid of car - has anybody?

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.

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.

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!

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 .

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 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!

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.

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. .

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

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.