Results

This ‘Commuter Challenge’ was the eye-catching start for a ten week campaign entitled ‘IT’ which stands for Integrating Transport.

Coming in first after 18 minutes was Professor Chris Carr, Principal of St Martins College who cycled “Cycling is a great personal form of transport which gets you from A to B at
a time of you choosing. I regularly cycle at a steady pace - not at an Olympic speed. It gives me time to think and clear my head. Cycling to work is something many people could try. Even if you just try it for a few days each week, you'll feel healthier and could arrive before those colleagues using the bus, car or train !

Next to arrive was County Councillor Jean Yates who undertook the journey from Lancaster to Morecambe on a First North Western train “The train was a fast and efficient way to get between Morecambe and Lancaster. There were lots of commuters and business people heading into town and it was ideal because it arrived at Lancaster station at 8.38am – only 14 minutes after leaving Morecambe. It also calls at Bare Lane where lots of people get on. I have seen many young people on the train in the morning with bikes which they obviously use to get to school or college in Lancaster.”

The whole train journey, including walking to and from the station at both ends was 35 minutes.

The IT campaign team also asked City Councillor for David Whitaker to use the number 42 bus from Morecambe “Generally the bus is a smooth and comfortable form of transport and with Stagecoach buying new vehicles and our combined investment in a fantastic new Bus station – we can now say that buses are getting better. The number 42 bus starts at ‘the Battery’ in my Ward so I am a regular user on this route. One of the best things about using the bus is that I can catch up with council papers and also enjoy a relaxing journey.”

The bus from Morecambe to Lancaster Bus Station and then a walk to the Town Hall takes 36 minutes at rush hour.

Finally the driver arrived at the finishing point in Dalton Square having travelled only five miles in 43 minutes. "Driving the route by car is convenient but as I drove along I realised that it was taking a very long time to travel a distance of only a few miles.

This builds up frustration and doesn't make for a relaxing journey. It is very difficult to plan journeys with the unknown factor of added congestion time. In the NHS we often see the tragic results of death and injury on our roads.

I arrived at Lancaster and found a parking space in a long stay car park. People often forget not only the time, but also the expense of running a vehicle."

Travel by bike costs an annual £60 while the car cost £621, the bus £477 and the train £430.

The annual costs of travel were calculated by comparing the cost of public transport tickets, the cost of the bike and waterproofs, the costs of petrol for the car and the costs of parking.

Morecambe to Lancaster is a notoriously busy route in the rush hour and our race was entirely typical of the journeys made in the area every day. The Integrating Transport Campaign which we have launched is not ‘anti car’ bus is actually about the way in which we can all use our cars more sensibly. By each of us doing our bit we can make Lancaster district a better and safer place to travel. Look out for our promotional campaign over the next ten weeks”

Costs were worked out as follows -

The journey is between the Tourist Information Centre in Morecambe and Lancaster Town Hall in Dalton Square, a 10.1 mile round trip by road. To estimate the costs we have assumed 47 weeks’ travelling per year (5 weeks’ holiday), 5 days per week. For your interest figures have been based on the following.

• Bike
  Assuming a new bike and waterproofs every 5 years plus other sundries, total £300 every 5 years.
• Train
  12 monthly season tickets at £35.80 per month.
• Bus
  A combination of monthly and weekly Bay Megarider tickets at £40 per month £11 per week (gives unlimited travel within Lancaster and Morecambe for the 28 days/whole week).
• Car
  Ford Focus Ghia 4-door, 1.6i Zetec engine. 30.1 miles per gallon urban cycle (source: Ford). Petrol cost 74.9 pence per litre.
  Parking costs £352.50 per annum (Edward Street annual permit).

• Car £620.99
• Bus £477.00
• Train £429.60
• Bike £40.00

So the car is the most expensive, and this cost only includes fuel and parking. There is no allowance for depreciation, finance, insurance, tax, servicing, repairs, MOT etc!