It costs around £3,000 to run a car in the UK and with public transport costs skyrocketing every year, people are looking for cheaper ways to get around and they want to reduce their carbon footprint too.
Follow our tips for saving money on transportation:
• Buy a bicycle - cycling is great for your wallet and your health and with more cycle paths being introduced in this country, it's a great way to get around. The downside is that there is no other way to move aside from using your own pedal power. This could be a deal breaker if you have a tiring job and a long commute - especially an uphill one!
• Get an electric bike - there will be an initial outlay of several hundreds of pounds, but invest in an electric bike and you'll be able to get around town much faster than you would on foot. Electric bikes are low cost, energy efficient and can travel up to 45 km/h.
• Use a hoverboard - if you want to add an element of fun to your journeys, then a hoverboard is a great option. Hoverboard benefits include saving money, reducing your carbon footprint and portability. You can buy a good hoverboard for around £200. A hoverboard is basically an electric scooter without a handle and you steer it using your own bodyweight. They go up to 16 km/h and come with a fully rechargeable lithium-ion battery. There are three wheels sizes available and you can buy all-terrain models that mean you can enjoy the ride off road too.
• Get an electric scooter - when it comes to ways to save money on transportation, an electric scooter is always a good choice. You don't need a driving license to ride an e-scooter. They are cheap to run, won't pollute the air and you don't have to put in any physical effort to ride them.
• Walk - it's a simple as putting one foot in front of the other. If you have short distances to travel, you can't beat walking, although you need to factor in the fact that it is going to take a lot longer than it would if you were using a transportation device such as a bike or hoverboard.
• Car share - if you really must go by car, why not share with friends or colleagues? That way, you get the luxury of a four wheel ride and you can rest assured that you are reducing your carbon footprint.
• Buy a hoverkart - with a simple piece of kit, you can transform a hoverboard into a gokart giving you a more stable ride. The hoverkart kit can be removed in seconds and you can also use the hoverboard in its traditional mode. It's an exhilarating way to save money on transportation!
• Segway it - the Segway is a two-wheeled self-balancing transportation device that first appeared in 2001. It became popular in the US with police departments, military bases and warehouses. It is now more commonly known as a hoverboard.
In the UK, the Government is increasingly looking into ways of reducing the cost of personal transportation and protecting the planet. An old law dating back to the 1800s makes it illegal to ride e-scooters or hoverboards on roads or cycle lanes, but this is set to change. In June 2020 the Department for Transport announced it had given the go-ahead of trials of electric scooters and it is predicted that in years to come, personal transportation devices like hoverboards, will be a common sight in our towns and cities.