Public transport can save motorists $10k a year

Want to know how to find an extra $10,000 a year? 

Ditch the car and catch public transport.

A city-by-city analysis of commuting costs by the Australasian Railway Association found commuters in Adelaide could save more than $10,000 a year if they gave up their car for the train or bus.

Even those not willing to sell the car but who still caught public transport could expect average savings of $1724 a year - rising to $3370 for leaving a 4WD in the garage. Residents in Melbourne and Sydney reaped the biggest savings - almost $12,000 for ditching the car.

ARA CEO Bryan Nye said the report would provide food for thought for Australians looking to save money and change old habits in 2015.

"A lot of people are unaware of the significant savings that can be made by selling their car or simply not purchasing a second vehicle and switching to public transport," Mr Nye said.

"A driver of a larger vehicle, like a Holden Commodore, could save more than $12,600 annually, while the driver of a smaller car like a Mazda 2 could save about $6400." He said the calculations were based on "conservative costs", including $1000 a year for parking and only compulsory insurance.

"The potential savings are obviously dependent on individual circumstances, but when you consider that Australian CBD parking costs can range from $180 to $750 a month, or from $2160 to $9000 a year, the savings that can be made by jumping on a train or bus are significant," Mr Nye said.

"An added benefit of commuting by public transport is the productive use of time that public transport offers, allowing commuters to spend time on their laptop, mobile, iPod and so on while in transit." A 2013 report by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics found urban public transport is used by a mere 11 per cent of the population, with little change expected before 2030.

Sydney had the highest rate of public transport use at 15.1 per cent, followed by Melbourne (11.6 per cent) then Brisbane at 9.8 per cent.

Around 6.8 per cent of Perth residents, 6.4 per cent of Adelaide people, 5.8 per cent of Darwinians and 5.3 per cent of Canberrans chose public transport over private vehicles. Despite the dismal figures, they have improved in the past decade due to rising fuel costs and improvements to the public transport network.