London is capital for car-pooling in the drive to cut commuting costs

Author: ROBIN ROBERTS

Often thought of as selfish, rude and unfriendly, London commuters can give themselves a pat on the back when it comes to car sharing.

Direct Line Motor Insurance found the capital is the nation’s carpooling champion with more drivers giving lifts to and from their offices than in any other city in the UK.

With more than 22 per cent of drivers sharing their car with at least one other person, London sits proudly at the top of Direct Line’s Carpooling League Table.

In comparison, dour drivers in Leeds are languishing at the bottom of the table with just 15 per cent carpooling to and from work.

As the cost of motoring continues to spiral, nearly 1.6 million commuter drivers in the UK are now carpooling.  Despite 60 per cent of those who drive to work saying they have less disposable income as a result of increased motoring costs, only 43 per cent of those who give lifts to others ever receive any money in return.

Drivers in the capital may carpool more frequently than those in any other UK city, but they are not the most generous. That title goes to the carpoolers of Glasgow who contribute a very healthy £11.10 for each journey, compared to the UK average of £5.60 per trip.