Ownership soars as more cars take to the roads

The number of cars on the road in Sunderland has jumped by more nearly 11,000 in the last decade, according to new figures.

Figures from the Department for Transport reveal there were 113,688 car registrations for addresses in the city in June this year – up from 102,884 in 2010 – an increase of 11%.

It means there is one car for every two adults in the city – compared to the national average of 1.7.

T r a n s p o r t e x p e r t s s ay that – even before the coronanvirus pandemic led to a collapse in public transport u s e – m a ny c o m mu n i t i e s were facing little choice but to use a car,

The rise in car ownership in Sunderland reflects the national picture which has also shown increases in areas with the highest proportions of deprived neighbourhoods.

Across Britain, car ownership has risen 11% from 2010, with 32 million cars now on the roads.

R AC s p o ke s m a n R o d Dennis said: “Even before the pandemic, drivers told us they were becoming m o re, n ot l e s s re l i a nt o n their cars.

"It’s easy to see why. As well as the obvious benefits a car brings for families in p a r t i c u l a r, m a ny d r i v e r s have felt for a long time that public transport either simply isn’t practical or doesn’t meet their needs, with services often seen as too exp e n s ive a n d r u n n i n g to o infrequently.

"This is particularly the c a s e out s i d e l a rge r tow n s a n d c i t ie s , wh e re e nt i re communities often have little choice but to use a car.”

The DfT says that it is investing £27bn into its road network over the next five years.