Many living in the cities can't afford the associated costs (car, rego, maintenance, fuel, insurance etc.), and unless they want to travel outside of the reaches of public transport - they don't need one.

Where I live now I could get away with not having a drivers licence. I live a ten minute walk from work. My work does involve driving a vehicle every now and then but if I did not have a licence then someone else would drive it.

We live less than a 5 minute walk from a major suburban railway station which puts us an hour within anywhere in Sydney or the Newcastle CBD. We also live about 5 minutes away from a big Westfield shopping centre which has pretty well anything you need or want to buy. Plus there are some Asian supermarkets here which sell cheap vegetables.

So I could get away with not having a licence. However that would mean lacking the freedom to go where I want when I want. However not having a licence and a car would save a lot of money.

BUSTERWA... The direct answer - go down to the local court house - locally no license does not mean no driving!!
However.... out of any major city (centre) it would be a $ issue not desire.

There are city zones where it is an expensive / life style habit. An ex-used to rent her parking spot out in CBD Sydney (going back years) - paid for the extras -
I reckon most who do not learn will be surprised by the effort involved when / if they want to later.

I can assure U it (kid's desire to have a license & drive) is alive and kicking in this neck of the woods. Can rattle off (sounds like the 4wd after I backed it into a tree with the back open - unshackelling the snap strap used to pull another tree over!!) my 16 yo's mates wanting a car, re-building a car, and hassling for road time.
My youngster's prime motivations - freedom to go surfing more, and getting a boat license 4 fishing. Much sooner he took up car transport than motorised skate board/bike/scooter - the public t'sport is limited and limiting.

The cycle brigade locally has a definite peleton biased around here - weirdly bad attitude some drivers have towards cyclists compared to Melbourne.

I am not looking forward to the un-natural bulking up of my sphincter muscles due to fear whilst sitting in the spare seat. It is the age where they will argue with a stop sign (!!)(especially when it looks like Dad).

Tips on keeping the learning cycle cheap, keeping sanity, and reasonable sized sphincter muscles appreciated - my driving habits are likely to cause test failure

AP

They were talking about this on 720 am the other day (bows head in shame) - and saying that particularly for young people in city centres one of the biggest negatives about driving is ........
you can't use your phone whilst driving.

And hence some people PREFER to take public transport rather than be out of contact with their social network, given that the total time taken is not significantly different.
I'm all for public transport but this has to be the most bull**** reason ever!

doggie said...

tmurray said...
They were talking about this on 720 am the other day (bows head in shame) - and saying that particularly for young people in city centres one of the biggest negatives about driving is ........
you can't use your phone whilst driving.

And hence some people PREFER to take public transport rather than be out of contact with their social network, given that the total time taken is not significantly different.
I'm all for public transport but this has to be the most bull**** reason ever!

70% of people who have a licence shouldnt

Flame suit on, red away [}:)]

Yeah, red thumb. That number is too low!