Should We Ban Cars?

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Alternatives

Clearly, if we are to get rid of cars there have to be alternative means of transportation. And that generally means public transport or cycling.

Die-hard motorists will be quick to point out Britain's general and consistent dissatisfaction with public transportation, and many commuters would probably agree.

But the fact is public transportation is usually faster than driving; the only thing quicker on shorter trips is the cycle. According to Sustrans, the British sustainable transport charity, cycling for 22 minutes in a busy city can take you four miles, whereas the same distance would take 40 minutes by car.

So if cars are to be eradicated it makes sense to invest in more bike and bus lanes and more frequent trains.

However, we may decide not to get rid of cars altogether. There are several technologies on the horizon that could give cars a stay of execution. There are already hybrid cars on the market which use electric motors as well as combustion engines. These cars store energy during braking to give an extra boost when cruising, so the combustion engine doesn't have to work so hard.

Even further down the line, cars might be powered by fuels cells. These would be essentially electric vehicles powered by clean liquid fuels such hydrogen or carbon-neutral ethanol, which generate only steam in their exhausts.

Ultimately, it's unlikely that cars will ever be completely banned. Whether we like it or not, the public have a love affair with their vehicles that spells freedom and reflects who they think they are. And with such clean car alternatives to the combustion engine just around the corner it seems even more likely that cars are here to stay.

However, though such cars may be cleaner and greener, they won't address other car-related problems like congestion and obesity.

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