The government has been trying to cut car usage for many years,
offering us a choice of means of transport, so we
can reach our destination by walking, cycling or public transport as well as by car.
The problem with this approach is
that it does not work.
Every town and city
in the country has a bus service. Every town
and city has footpaths. And yet everyone with a car drives
just about everywhere they can. And only those without a car take the bus.
If we're serious about cutting car usage
- and we should be - then we need a new approach.
Why Are We So Addicted To Our
Cars?
There are a great many reasons why some of us
would prefer not to drive - the great expense, the stress
of fighting traffic, all the hassles of car
ownership, eco-guilt etc. - so why do we continue to do
so?
Walking is no longer an option. Not so
long ago people walked to the shops and to
work. Now, with all our suburbs and out-of-town
shopping centres, the great distances involved make this
impossible.
Cars have made walking decidedly unpleasant. Even if you
could walk to your destination, it would not be
an enjoyable experience - choking on car
exhaust, being deafened by the
roar of traffic, having
to wait for all the 'more important' people in
cars before you can cross the street, and
the possibility of getting hit by several tonnes of speeding
metal.
Public transport isn't up to scratch. Stuck
behind everyone else's cars, public transport is slow and unreliable. And,
since nobody uses it, you have to wait
ages for the next bus and pay heavily for the
privilege.
Laziness/habit. Driving takes a lot less effort
than walking so, every time you pass the car on your
driveway, the temptation is always to drive, even if your
destination is only a couple of minutes away. After a
while it just becomes habit - you leave the house and jump
straight in the car.
A New Approach
We need to stop designing our communities around the car
first and pedestrians, cyclists and public transport
users a distant second.
Instead we should be making our towns much more compact,
putting the needs of
pedestrians and cyclists first and, where necessary,
providing excellent public transport.
Under no circumstances can we allow these towns to become
dormitories for surrounding towns and cities. Each town must
provide sufficient jobs for all its residents.
