Students penalised for living in rural areas

AS A student living in a rural area, where public transport is appalling, I, as so many others, need to depend on being able to drive a car.

The price of car insurance, ranging from €600 to €1,100 per year for young female drivers and €1,000 to €2,200 for males, is a lot to ask for from people who are still in education and who can only afford to work part-time if time beside study allows it.

This is especially unfair to college students who are also faced with the cost of college fees, accommodation and general living expenses. In some cases, students also depend on cars as a way of getting to and from college.

I feel that the area of residence should be taken into consideration when insurance companies give quotations to young drivers.

Alternatively, improving the reliability and increasing the services of public transport in rural areas would also be a good way of helping students to get to and from their place of study at an affordable price.

Mirjam Hirzel

Boleagh

Ballydehob

Co Cork