London is one of the leading cities when it comes to reducing car congestion according to a new survey conducted on residents of some of Europe’s biggest cities.

The UK’s capital already has a range of financial penalties aimed at reducing car use in the central areas, with older cars wanting to travel into the heart punished for their emissions as well.

Research from car hire firm Drivy reveals that 84 per cent of Londoners would consider using their car less, with almost half of them (43%) considering getting rid of their car completely. Compared to other major European cities such as Madrid (28%) and Berlin (27%), the London figure is by far the highest for those admitting they would ditch the car.

Whether congestion charges or good public transport options are responsible for the opinions is unknown, though cars are deemed to be a necessary evil for many living in the capital. Weekend trips (60%), the weekly food shop (57%) and leisure activities (51%) given as the key reasons for cars still being a necessity.

Londoners aren’t ignorant to the concerns of too many cars on the roads, with 84 per cent admitting that their quality of life would improve with fewer cars on the road.

Katy Medlock, Head of UK for Drivy, commented, “The attitude towards car sharing in London is setting a strong example to the rest of Europe, with motorists voicing they would like change and are open to altering their car ownership habits, if car sharing is accessible to them.”

“This attitude is a step in the right direction, however, there is still an awareness piece to do in order to adopt a sensible and efficient approach to car ownership. Although the majority of people in London would associate car sharing with an improvement to quality of life and 76% of residents would like more car sharing, 46% of Londoners say they still use their car several times a week, with half of those (23%) driving every day. Cars may be necessary for some journeys, but having one all the time isn’t worth it, not for our cities, environment nor our health,” concluded Medlock.

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