Should private cars be banned from city centres?

Most cities now have pedestrian precincts and from time to time cities are in the news because cars have been temporarily banned from the centre to reduce pollution. However, no town council has yet had the courage to completely prohibit private motor vehicles from entering the city centre. There are several reasons why I believe this should be done. The most important reason is pollution from car exhausts, which damages people's health causing respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. At the same time, traffic fumes attack the stonework of historic monuments and buildings, while the vibrations from passing vehicles damage their foundations. This, for instance, has happened to many old cathedrals in Europe. A second reason why I am in favour of cars being banned is in order to reduce the noise pollution from traffic. This forces people to keep their windows permanently closed and may cause psychological problems, including stress and depression, among people living in busy streets. A further reason is that most cities were not designed for motor traffic. A good example of this is the historic centre of Valencia, which has narrow streets and few facilities for parking. As a result, traffic moves very slowly and there are frequent traffic jams. Beautiful buildings are spoilt by always having cars parked in front of them and pretty streets become unpleasant due to permanent traffic congestion and exhaust fumes. Finally, I am sure that if cars were banned, people would find other more pleasant ways to move around cities. For example, they would walk or use bicycles as these would once more become safe and enjoyable activities within the city. This in turn would bring about a general improvement in people's health. In conclusion, therefore, I strongly support the idea that traffic should be banned from city centres, as this would enable people to rediscover cities as pleasant and healthy places to live.