York area commuters who drive to work are spending nearly £70 a week on car costs a year, new research reveals.  

According to recent research conducted by First Bus, York drivers commuting to and from work five days a week are spending £3,417 a year on commuting.

Instead, they could save £1,800 a year by using the city’s Park and Ride stations, the research argues.

The research says drivers spend an average £1,257 on fuel and £2,160 on car parking costs annually. 

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By contrast, drivers can use any of the six Park & Ride sites for free before taking a bus into York City Centre.

An annual bus ticket with First Bus is £608, saving drivers £1,795 a year.

Furthermore, the bus operator argues commuters can also save time, taking the bus.

The research says 18 minutes a day is spent stuck in traffic, totalling 90 minutes a week, or 78 hours a week.

It also reveals York drivers are also late to work 54 days a year due to traffic and parking difficulties. Based of a typical 232-day work year, this is the equivalent to drivers being later 23% of the year, turning up to work late once a week.  

Furthermore congestion and how others drive rank equally (32%) as other frustrations highlighted by drivers with 28% admitting they are irritated by thinking what they could be doing with their time.  

John Roxburgh, Head of Operations at First Bus in North Yorkshire, said: “We can encourage drivers to leave behind their frustrations and make better use of their commuting time using the Park & Ride service, whether it’s work or leisure related activities, with on board features enabling digital connectivity.”  

Four in 10 (39%) surveyed would catch up on work emails and one in five (21%) would use the time to get ready for work instead or phone loved ones (19%). For those wanting to switch off from work, a third (33%) reveal they’d pick up a book.  

John Roxburgh added: “By using First Bus’s Park and Ride service, this takes the pressure off commuters by offering them a faster and cheaper alternative that will also allow them to enjoy a little bit of extra free time to do what they enjoy. An overwhelming majority of existing customers have told us they find it cheaper than parking in the city and over 90 per cent are satisfied with the service.   

“A double-decker bus also takes 75 cars off the road, helping to reduce traffic congestion and reduce emissions, which benefits everyone.”

York’s Park & Ride sites can be found at Askham Bar, the Designer Outlet, Grimston Bar, Monks Cross, Poppleton Bar and Rawcliffe Bar.