IF public transport ws viable......we would use it....
Absolutely. I often go to Germany on business and don't miss my car. There are trains, buses, trams, underground systems,... It's all open most of the night, it's cheap, reliable, clean and not full of to$$ers.
Our government has been encouraging housing development as fast as it can with no thought to transport (or other) infrastructure for many decades. It's going to be a whole generation before that can change, no matter how much motorists' money is ploughed into public transport (or wars). We have and we continue to develop communities for which there is no alternative but to use the car for most journeys.
Trains and buses could improve vastly tomorrow and there'd still be nothing I could use. The only train line near me only goes to London and I don't work there. The only bus near me stops every 250 yards making a 20 mile commute a bit painful!
The government can increase taxation on car use and, without an alternative, it's just increased taxation. It'll make the country less productive, less competitive, there'll be a recession and the tax take will plummet as a result. Back to square one.
We really need to broaden our thinking. Is it really necessary for people to travel to work to sit at a desk they could just as easily have at home? Is is impossible to have a form of transport that's as flexible as a car but without the environmental burden or the need for decades of investment?
Kevin
