‘Entrenched car culture’ leaves millions of Britons in transport poverty

Study finds drivers spending up to a fifth of pre-tax income on running a car as lack of infrastructure deters people from cycling

Millions of Britons are trapped in transport poverty owing to a lack of alternatives to car ownership, with some spending nearly a fifth of their pre-tax income keeping a car on the road, a study has found.

Those who own a car spend on average 13% of their gross income on it, above the 10% generally seen as the indicator of transport poverty. For those paying for their car with a finance or loan deal this proportion rises to 19%.