We are still in the midst of a global pandemic – more than 18 months of lockdowns, restrictions and a change in how we all conduct our daily lives.  While we are extremely lucky to have a vaccine available, daily infections are delivering large numbers and lots of people are being hospitalised.  So, life has changed, globally.  One of the biggest changes is how we all travel, from our daily commute to running down to the local supermarket to pick up some milk to overseas travel.  At ScrapToday, we’ve seen a huge upsurge in people looking to scrap my car in Hertfordshire over the past 18 months and it certainly looks set to continue.  With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to give you more information on the biggest travel changes – and forecast how we think travel will be in the future.

Fewer Cars on the Road in 2020

Firstly, because so many people are choosing to scrap my car in St Albans today, there are less cars on the road.  According to roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk, in 2020, 280.5 billion miles were driven in the UK, which was a 21.3% decrease on the previous year.  That was impacted by COVID and while lots of people have returned to driving, plenty of people are now relying on the excellent public transport options that are available.  Here are some more figures from the Road Traffic government web page:

• In 2020, car traffic was reduced by 24.7% against 2019.
• The number of miles travelled was the lowest for 29 years!
• Van traffic reduced by 9.1% on the previous year and lorries by 5.7%.
• Motorway traffic reduced by 25.3% on 2019.

More People Discovering a Love for Cycling

Now, interestingly, cyclists increased by 45.8% on 2019 with people taking to alternative modes of transport and choosing a different way to exercise as they couldn’t get to the gym!  We know that plenty of people that were looking to scrap my car near me for cash decided to take up cycling instead and we hear that many of them are still loving their two wheels!  So, travel is not the same as it used to be, by any means.

Working From Home is Still a “Thing”

Having said that, at the beginning of the pandemic, public transport also dropped enormously due to the close contact with passengers and concerns surrounding hygiene.  Hygiene most definitely has improved.  In London alone, there are 20,000 stand-alone hand sanitising machines for commuters and in recent weeks, commuting is on the rise again.  However, people are still choosing to work from home and many of the big, household names have recommended that their staff stay at home – Zooming in for important meetings. In fact, when we were advised to stay at home by the government last Spring, only essential workers were allowed to go to work.  There was a huge fall in traffic as a result – with 63% less traffic on the road for the same period in 2019 and there was no peak at any time of day.  That’s all vehicles too, vans, cars, bikes, bicycles etc. At ScrapToday, we think lots of people will still opt to work from home, even for part of the week, if it’s a choice – and hopefully, it will be!  

Same-Day Cash Is Always Welcome!

Roads are getting busier – but they’re not as busy as they used to be.  Getting across town or from one end of Hertfordshire to the other is taking slightly less time.  We have noticed cars and public transport use growing again – yet we are also noticing significantly more people wanting to scrap my car near me in Hertford.  Upon talking to many of our happy car scrapping in London customers, we’ve found out that lots of them were originally two-car families and yes, they still want to have a car but they definitely don’t need more than one!  Plus, with the uncertainty surrounding different industries and the pressure on keeping a job in difficult times, the extra cash has come in very handy.  At ScrapToday, we always pay into bank accounts on the same day as getting a car scrapped in Herts – which means fast cash!   We also offer free collection from any address in Herts, Essex or London, making car scrapping in Romford a breeze!

Are You Planning a Staycation?

Over the summer, there is always a decrease in traffic on the roads with people usually escaping to sunnier climates.  However, with the continuing restrictions on foreign travel – not to mention the hassle of filling in passenger locator forms and potentially a destination suddenly moving to the red list – more people than ever before are opting for a staycation.  There will likely be a little more motorway traffic but no more than at usual summer peaks – as people move towards the coast.  Public transport is definitely growing in popularity and the slight overall decrease of people on the roads has caused that figure to rise, yet it still isn’t quite at pre-pandemic levels.  However, as we see more and more people scrap a van near me in Barnet for cash or asking where can I scrap my car near me Stevenage – we’re pretty sure that public transport will soon be busier than it was before we heard about COVID-19.

Where to Scrap a Car in London, Essex or Herts

Finally, if you want to know where to scrap my car near me St Albans, you can completely rely on ScrapToday, the best scrap a car in Hertfordshire, London and Essex service, with an ATF registered scrapyard and guaranteed money in your bank account on the same day as we scrap your vehicle.  For the best scrap car quote in Essex, contact our helpful and experienced customer services team here – we’re sure you’ll love our car recycling service in London.