Driving Around Busy Cities: Is It Worth It?

All opinions are mine and mine alone.

A busy city is one that’s full of people, buildings, roads, and cars. Everywhere you look, there will be people going about their days. Living or working in a busy city comes with its advantages. For one, you have lots of job opportunities and plenty of things to keep you entertained. Nevertheless, it does present a bit of a problem when considering things like transportation. 

All major cities will be equipped with public transport networks. This includes buses, trains, sometimes even subways or tram lines. At the same time, they also have plenty of roads going in and out of the city for people to drive on. The question is, is it worth driving your car in busy cities? 

Opinions are very much split over this, and you’ll see why after reading this post! Driving your car in a busy city has pros and cons, so let’s take a look at the key arguments in each corner:

Don’t have to rely on public transport

While major cities have public transport networks, that doesn’t mean they have ones that actually work. A lot of the time, you experience delays or issues. Especially in areas with a subway system, where you might have problems getting on the subway due to overcrowdedness. This can set you back, making you next for the next train to arrive. The same goes for buses and all other forms of public transport – a lot is out of your control. 

When you choose to drive in a busy city, you don’t have to rely on public transport at all. You can travel to your own schedule, and you won’t worry about places being taken, standing in a cramped carriage, or things being canceled. In essence, the theory is that you have more freedom to do as you please. 

Cities are prone to car accidents

Busy cities are the number one place for car accidents and crashes to take place. When you think about it, this makes a load of sense. With so many cars driving around, there are bound to be problems. Especially in busy intersections with numerous traffic lights and turnings, it’s so easy to end up in a multiple vehicle accident. From here, you have to deal with the stress that follows – such as deciding car crash liability and all the legal or medical expenses. It’s all a bit much, which is why many people choose to avoid driving in busy city areas. 

Of course, there’s always context behind everything. Some cities are set up with better road systems than others, minimizing crashes. However, there is a higher chance of you crashing your car in a city than in a more rural area. Naturally, some people prefer to avoid this risk and ditch their cars altogether. 

Driving can sometimes be more convenient

Driving somewhere in a city can sometimes be more convenient than getting public transport. For instance, when you get a train or a bus, you are restricted by where the transport stops. If your workplace is nowhere near a stop, you have to walk or get a taxi there. It can be a big inconvenience to your day, meaning you might have to get up earlier in the morning to account for the lost time. 

By contrast, driving lets you pick and choose where you end up. You can drive straight to your workplace and park your car outside it. This makes life far more convenient as you can just leave work and go straight to your car, rather than walking to the nearest public transport stop. 

Driving is sometimes slower

On the other hand, driving could be slower in some cities. Again, this goes back to the idea of there being lots of traffic in a city area. Traffic lights and queues can make it almost impossible for you to make a journey. Most of your time is spent waiting for people to move, so you usually have to plan to be in your car outside of the peak travel hours. 

With public transport, there are many instances where the systems slash journeys in half. Subways are particularly good at this as they can go underground and bypass roads and traffic. A two-minute journey on the subway can equate to a ten or fifteen-minute journey in your car. In all honesty, you probably have to try both methods to decide which one is faster/more convenient. Much depends on your individual situation and where you live!

It can be cheaper to drive

This is a big reason that some people choose to drive in busy cities – even if it isn’t the fastest option. It kind of all depends on the city and how expensive public transport is. For some, the cost of paying for tickets during the year is too much when compared to the cost of petrol, etc. 

This is something you will have to figure out for yourself, but it could be remarkably cheaper to drive your car. Especially if you drive a hybrid or electric car and don’t have to worry about gas prices that much. 

It can be cheaper to get public transport!

Yes, you can argue the same point in the other direction! However, the key thing here is that people suggest you save more money by not needing to buy a car. You can save on the cost of actually buying the vehicle, as well as all the ongoing maintenance costs, insurance, and so on. 

Again, it’s all subjective and depends on the individual. Some may argue that you might need a car for journeys outside of the city, so you can’t sell it. In which case, will it still be cheaper to get public transport? 

Overall, there’s no right answer to this question as it all comes down to each person’s preferences. The city you live in also plays a predominant role – if the transport system is cheap and efficient, it might make more sense to avoid driving. Weigh up all the key talking points and look at your personal situation before deciding what to do.