The traditional European Mobility Week starts on Friday 16 September. The week culminates in Car Free Day on Thursday 22 September. The week encourages us to reflect on the impact of our daily mobility choices. This year’s main theme is saving energy. In this context, a few words are in order on the many savings you can make by travelling by public transport.
You save energy
Among the means of transport, rail vehicles are in a league of their own when it comes to saving energy. We have calculated that with one kWh, you can travel nearly 30 kilometers by commuter train and 10 kilometers by metro. For trams, the figure is 4.5 kilometers and for diesel buses 2.7 kilometers.
A petrol car with one passenger only travels just under 1.5 kilometers with one kWh of electricity.
You save the environment
Travel by commuter trains, the metro and trams generates zero local emissions. The electricity used to power trams, trains and the metro is sustainably generated by Nordic wind, water or solar power. Over half of the vehicles used for the transport services procured by us run on renewable energy.
The number of electric buses is increasing rapidly. Our aim is that in 2023, about a third (i.e. about 400) of buses on our services are electric. Electric buses are also powered by renewable energy.
Carbon dioxide emissions from our transport services have decreased by 50 percent over the past ten years and the downward trend is expected to continue.
You save money
One year of travel by public transport costs thousands of euros less than one year of travel by car.
The Finnish Tax Administration says on its website that using a car costs EUR 0.46 per kilometer. This figure includes all the costs of car ownership, including the purchase price, insurance, maintenance and fuel. If you drive 20,000 kilometers per year, you pay just over EUR 9,000 for your journeys.
If you buy an ABCD season ticket as an auto-renewing saver subscription, you pay EUR 118.90 a month, i.e. about EUR 1,426 a year.
You save urban space
Cars take up more space than public transport. That space would otherwise be available for housing, parks, cycling paths and other amenities.
The newest M300 series metro trains can accommodate up to about 600 passengers. The trains are about 90 meters long. The average car length is 4.5 meters. If all 600 people drove in their cars alone, the queue of cars would be over two and half kilometers long.
Save your nerves
Very few people actually enjoy the nerve-racking driving on ring roads and other major roads, particularly in the morning and evening rush hours. You have to deal with bumbling drivers in the adjacent lanes – not to mention the time and money spent for finding and paying for parking.
So all of you who are already using public transport: You have made a smart choice. Everyone else should try it, too. You might end up liking it.
You can spend your journey working or on your phone while a professional driver takes you safely to your destination.