Driving lessons are quite a major expense for people young and old. It is not only the many lessons you have to take to master the skill it require to operate a vehicle; there is also the theory and practical tests you need to take. For people living in the regional areas of the United Kingdom, this is an unfortunate necessity unless you want to rely on lifts from friends or inconvenient public transport. However, for people in London, this is quite a difficult decision to make. Is there any point learning to drive if you are living in the British capitol?

There are many arguments against beginning driving lessons in the city and its surrounding areas. Perhaps the most compelling is that London has one of the most quickest and most efficient transport systems in the world: the Underground. The Tube system can be found on almost every street corner. It provides easy access to almost every single area of London and has even recently improved even further to allow 24 hour travel at weekends.

The easy accessibility the cost of travelling around is certainly not the only reason one might hesitate to begin driving lessons. It’s also much cheaper to use the overground or underground than it is to run a car in London. Furthermore, public transport is not susceptible to the Congestion Charge of £11.50 prior to travel or £14 afterwards.

However, there are also some very good reasons for taking driving tests in London. While you may want to stay away from Central London, there is no telling when you will need to commute to other boroughs or surrounding areas of London where public transport isn’t so convenient. Similarly, taking driving lessons in areas like Kingston, Camden, Islington and other areas of London gives you much greater freedom to move around outside of the city. You never know where your job or education might take you.

At the end of the day, perhaps the best argument one could make in favour in learning to drive in London is the simplest one: why not? There may or may not come a time in your life when you need a car to take you somewhere, and there may or may not come a time when you move away from the capitol. In the event that this happens, you do not have to cram in an intensive driving tutoring to quickly learn the skills. Rather, you will already be equipped with them – and just like riding a bike, you may need some time to re-master them, but you will never forget.