COMMUTERS are being left with no choice but to use public transport because of a lack of parking in Brighton and Hove.

That was the reaction of campaigners after new figures showed that the number of cars in the city had fallen with 2,865 less registered cars than 10 years ago.

The figures bucked the national trend, which has seen the numbers of cars on our streets rising by half a million each year across the country.

But according to Steve Percy of the People’s Parking Protest, the fall was mostly down to the difficulty car owners had when they entered the city.

“The biggest reason for the decline in ownership is that the Green council is making it so difficult to use a car in this city,” he said. “People are being forced onto public transport as it is so difficult to park or to go to the shops.

“I think commuters are being affected the most as if they work in the city, they have no choice but use public transport.”

The ownership figures were released earlier this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which takes DVLA figures and checks them against its data- base of newly-registered cars.

But councillors hailed the new information as fantastic news and said council plans to promote other forms of transport had worked, correlating with the city’s falling carbon emissions.

Councillor Pete West, chairman of the environment, transport and sustainability Committee said: “It’s fantastic that these figures show the number of cars on our streets is now falling.

“Car numbers rose over the past decade but since 2011 the Green-led council has been working hard to make it easier for people to choose alternatives to car ownership to get around the city including better walking, cycling and public transport facilities.” He added that Brighton and Hove leads the way in sustainable transport. Brighton and Hove’s carbon dioxide levels have fallen 5.3% since 2009.

Chris Peck, from The National Cycling Charity, said Brighton has seen a 118% increase in cyclists between 2001 and 2011. Brighton and Hove has the fourth biggest decline in ownership nationally – coming in behind Liverpool, Blackpool and Swansea with 93,446 registered cars.