Fifth of Britons can't get to work using public transport
The Government is desperate for us to ditch our cars and replace them with zero-emissions electric models or use public transport in a bid to reduce air pollution in the country.
However, a new study has highlighted that more than 10 million Britons would be unable to get to work if they could only rely on buses, trains and other modes of public transport.
Direct Line Car Insurance said a fifth of workers either don't have a public transport link into their nearest town centre or would have to use three or more modes of shared transport to get to work.
Public transport troubles: A fifth of Britons say their public transport links are simply not good enough to get them to work and back, meaning they have to rely on having a car
A study of more than 2,000 Britons showed that one in five - the equivalent of more than ten million people - would be unable to get to their jobs if they didn't use their cars.
One in ten adults said they would be unable to get to their nearest town centre using a bus, train, tram or underground system while a further one and a half million people would have to use at least three different modes of public transport just to reach their office or place of work.
But it's not just getting to work by public transport that's a problem.
Over nine million Britons (18 per cent) can't access their local supermarket without a car and one in seven (14 per cent) would not be able to visit the doctor if they had to rely on public transport.
Direct Line said these difficulties are likely to be among the key reasons why almost eight million Brits rated their local public transport links as 'unsatisfactory'.
Unsurprisingly, Londoners have it the easiest, but which regions across the country have it toughest when it comes to public transport?
Londoners were most satisfied with their public transport links, unsurprisingly
Welsh workers have the hardest time commuting without a car, with nearly a third (30 per cent) saying they can't get to work by relying solely on public transport.
People living in Northern Ireland would also struggle with their commute without a motor, with 27 per cent admitting that without one they would be unable to get to the office.
A quarter of people in the South West (25 per cent) said they depend solely on driving to reach their place of employment five days a week.
Regions with the most people who can't get to work using public transport 1. Wales - 30% 2. Northern Ireland - 27% 3. South West - 25% =4. North West - 23% =4. East of England - 23% =4. West Midlands - 23% 7. South East - 22% 8. East Midlands - 21% =9. North East - 17% =9. Yorks & Humber - 17% =9. Scotland - 17% 12. London - 11% Source: Direct Line Car Insurance
The mode of transport most of out of reach for many Britons is trains, with more than six million Britons (12 per cent) living more than five miles away from their nearest railway station.
On average, people in the East Midlands live the furthest from their closest station, with the typical resident facing a 3.2 mile trek to the train.
This compares to just 1.25 miles for the average Londoner.
Around 1.5 million Britons said they would need to take three or more different modes of public transport simply to get to their nearest town centre
Despite those in Wales and Northern Ireland having the biggest struggle to access public transport, it was residents in the East of England that were most dissatisfied with their options, with 26 per cent rating their transport links as 'poor', 'very poor' or 'terrible'.
Some people, however, said price, a lack of dependability and hygiene were the main reason why they side-stepped a commute by public transport.
Just this week, the rail industry announced the price of a rail tickets would rise by an average of 3.4 per cent, with some providers ramping-up costs by more than 4.5 per cent.
Already, a fifth (20 per cent) of Britons complained that public transport is too expensive, while another 16 per cent blasted the lack of service.
Over one million adults across the UK admitted that the lack of cleanliness on public transport is what deterred them most from using the service.
Survey of Britons shows which regions are happiest (and most disgruntled) about their public transport links Region Percentage who are dissatisfied with their public transport links Percentage who are satisfied with their public transport links East of England 26% 45% East Midlands 23% 50% Northern Ireland 20% 64% Wales 20% 49% South West 18% 46% Yorks & Humber 16% 62% Scotland 15% 60% North East 15% 62% West Midlands 14% 55% South East 14% 58% North West 13% 64% London 0% 86% UK Average 16% 59% Source: Direct Line Car Insurance
Earlier this year, London mayor Sadiq Khan introduced a T-Charge on top of the Congestion Charge to limit the use of cars in the centre of London.
Drivers of older petrol and diesel cars now face a daily rate of £21.50 to use their vehicles in the centre, as Khan pushed commuters to use public transport networks in the city or walk or cycle more often in the capital.
'This research shows that while public transport has improved in many areas, there are still perceived issues with accessibility, reliability and quality in some places,' Rob Miles, director of Car Insurance at Direct Line, said.
'This makes a large number of people dependent on their car to make short but vital trips, such as going to work, dropping the children off at school or visiting the supermarket.'