When we are asked to list the obvious advantages of owning a car, the most striking is the disconnection from dependence on public transportation, which is limited both in operating hours and in the variety of destinations. It is also often assumed that the duration of a trip in a private car is much shorter than that of a trip on public transportation, and rightly so. After all, public transportation is limited by a fixed route and stops.
However, for a growing number of residents of large cities , renting a car in the center is infinitely preferable to owning a permanent vehicle. Young couples and singles in large cities in the center of the country will often prefer to rent a car for specific occasions rather than commit to a heavy and burdensome financial outlay.
Why is it better to rent than to buy a car?
The cost of maintaining a vehicle has skyrocketed in recent years as part of the general rising cost of living. This is due to the fact that components of the automotive sector are a preferred target for taxation. The price of a new vehicle includes a tax percentage that sometimes doubles its value compared to abroad. Regarding the tax component of fuel costs – every word is unnecessary. And all this before considering the cost of insurance.
Also, Israeli cities, especially those located in the center, are known for their density. The many traffic jams and parking shortages in cities are a result of this density. Searching for parking, a seemingly simple operation, is now actually a time-consuming hassle. In fact, over the years, an entire market has been created, with a turnover of tens of millions of shekels per year, of offering parking spaces for rent, developing applications for searching and sharing parking, and of course the well-known parking lots that already charge up to tens of shekels per hour for an hour of parking during the day.
Public transportation in the city
For residents of the center, the workplace is usually no further than a bike ride or a single city bus ride from their place of residence. An intercity trip for a trip or to see family once a week or two simply does not justify the high cost of maintaining a car.
Today, it is even accepted to encourage the use of public transportation and the use of car rental services in the center on a one-time basis, rather than buying a car and using it for every trip, even the shortest one, in light of the traffic jams that are created and the entire issue of air pollution. There is no doubt that in many cases, especially in certain areas of the country, renting a car is a great alternative and an excellent and simple solution to the problem of parking and the relatively high cost of buying a new car.
