Lessening the Pain of Petrol Costs

Petrol prices are on the rise and many are feeling the pain of the extra cost that this adds to the family budget.  Sadly, over the coming years, petrol prices are likely to rise more than they fall, as the oil that we take from the ground gets more expensive to extract.  Add to that that our climate is changing and we need to cut down our use of fossil fuels.   
We must start changing now if we are to avoid even worse hardship in a decade or two.

Sure, a few people out there cannot change the use of their car because of disability, but with a bit of thought and planning, most of us can change the way we travel for at least some of our trips. Many people already have.


Here are some of the things they are doing and that you might do too:

Sharing rides with others. Rather than just driving somewhere by yourself, talk with people who live nearby or who work with you about how you might share transport to places that you all need to go.

Do more things in a single trip rather than doing a trip for each activity.  This takes a bit more thought but is quite easy when you get in the swing of it.

Try walking   
Walking is great gentle exercise that gets you out into the sun.  On top of that, it is really easy to stop and chat to the people you meet on the way. It’s good for both your physical and mental health and, once you know the short cuts, it can be a good way to get around the local area for small shopping trips, to get to events and activities, or visit friends. Most people can easily walk about 2km in half an hour and many trips done in cars are less than 1km!

Jump on a bike.  
The new cycleways and the many quiet streets and parks around Halswell, Hoon Hay, Spreydon and Addington that make it safe and easy to get around by bike. The secret is to avoid routes that are busy and find good back streets to use. The distances you cover fairly easily on a bike can be considerable (it if fairly easy to bike 15km in an hour and most people do a bit more than that).  
Like walking, biking is great for mental and physical health.
Here are some reasons WHY biking might be a good thing even without the petrol cost savings.
If your bike needs fixing, check out RAD bikes to get help with fixing it (or just drop it into a bike shop.  Bike mechanics can often really make a difference to how nice your bike is to ride0.   
If you are on a low income, don’t have a bike, or would like one, the Community Focus Trust BuyCycle project might be able to help (http://www.empowerchurch.co.nz/Community/projects.html or phone 355 4928 to find out more.

Use a bus.  
A number of bus routes go through Halswell to a range of destinations. 
If you are over 65, you can get a Gold Card and travel free between the hours of 9.00am and 3.00pm. If you are not over 65, then a Metro card can get you good discounts on bus travel.  Find out more here.

The Orange line is a very direct service that runs every 15 minutes throughout the day from Longhurst past the New World in Nichols Rd then up Halswell and Lincoln Roads.  Likewise, there are frequent services that go to Hornby and the Airport , and to Beckenham and into the City.
Call in to the bus station to find out more or visit http://metroinfo.co.nz

Try out a Lime electric scooter. 
You need a smartphone and a credit card.  Install the Lime App on your phone and watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta9x2aDwagw)  and you are set to go.

Mix and match – 
Many trips can be done using two or more forms of transport – take the car a shorter distance then get out and walk, ride your bike, grab a lime scooter, or get on the bus. Get a lift with a mate and walk to your workplace or home.
Many in Halswell are parking up their bikes or their cars for the day near bus stops, then riding a bus into the City.  You can also take your bike on the buses round the city which is a good way to lessen the distance you have to bike.
If cycling into the City from Halswell is too far, 

• Try parking on Sparks Rd near the start of the Quarryman's Trail in Hoon Hay the bike in from there or  
• Park at Princess Margaret hospital, ride your bike down the other side of the river to Studholme St then through the Simeon St Graveyard to meet the Quarrymans Trail Cycleway which takes you into the City, or
• Park in Aidanfield, go over the overbridge and get onto the cycleway that runs along beside the motorway into the City via some pleasant green spaces.

If you work in the central city, these options will also save you money for parking as well as for petrol.