Home » Features

To Commute or Not to Commute

Deciding where to live and how to get to work is a complicated business. There is always the decision to be made whether to live close to the city centre which will save you money on travel costs and mean you have to spend a lot less time travelling but ultimately will leave you paying a higher price to rent or buy where you live.

Then there is the option of moving further out of town. Many people aspire to live in the country in a calmer, quieter environment and you generally get more property and land for your money. However, the further you live from your place of work the longer you will have to spend travelling and the more money it will cost, meaning you have less time to spend at leisure in your idyllic country setting and less money to enjoy it with.

Environment

Another factor that is becoming more and more important to people is the effect the volume of car travel has on the environment. If you are travelling a substantial distance twice daily, before even thinking about the driving and aeroplane boarding you might be doing in your spare time, your contribution to this phenomenon will be quite high.

The large number of cars that travel our roads each day are contributing quite heavily to global warming, smog and acid rain. Although you may not see the direct effects of these processes they have worldwide impacts and the consequences are not just confined to the area in which the cause occurred.

If you are thinking of commuting because of your love for the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside here is another reason to think twice. As well as the damage to the air and climate, the very presence of roads is gradually depleting the countryside and destroying the habitats of the creatures which live there and are essential to sustaining the balance of the ecosystem.

As the number of cars in the country increases the roads are becoming more congested meaning more are having to be built. So your peaceful country village may soon become the stop off point for a new nearby motorway.

Ways to Get Around the Commute

There is public transport, as long as you are near a station, most lines connect well with the closest major city. There are also buses and taxis to help you get around if a train will not do the job. However, routes can be busy and this can still be an expensive way to do things.

Think outside the box to find more creative ways to get your work done and communicate with your colleagues. Conference calls can be a great way to talk to people when you need to. If you don't really need to be at the office, maybe spend a couple of days a week working from home without missing out on the company and insights of your work mates.