It is evident that the mass car ownership is associated with several environmental and health issues, including global warming, lung cancer, and anxiety. Although the convenience of possessing a car has made it almost an inexorable trend, there are measures that governments can take to discourage unnecessary car use.
The first, and also the most effective measure could be to make it expensive to own and use a car. This measure can be implemented by taxing heavily on initial car purchasing, congested roads using, and petrol consuming. By doing so, people might start considering reducing their car use, especially for the unnecessary trips. However, there is a drawback of this approach that it is often the poorer residents will suffer from the increased cost. The poor might have to cut some necessary trips because of the financial burden, whereas the rich ones would be able to maintain their convenience from car use. Therefore, this measure may be effective, but not fair to the poor.
Another way to discourage people from using their cars is to encourage them using alternative transports, such as trains, buses, and bicycles. Evidence has shown that cities, such as Tokyo and Paris, where better public transport systems are offered, car use rates are lower and roads are less congested. People will only be most willing to use public transports when they are almost or even more convenience than driving their cars. Therefore, governments could invest more in infrastructure and transport system design and construction in order to provide adequate and competitive alternatives.
To conclude, increasing the cost of having and using a car could be an effective way to reduce the car use. However, improving and encouraging the use of public transports could be the better and more sustainable way to achieve this goal.
It is evident that the mass
car
ownership
is associated
with several environmental and health issues, including global warming, lung cancer, and anxiety. Although the convenience of possessing a
car
has made it almost an inexorable trend, there are
measures
that
governments
can take to discourage unnecessary
car
use
.
The
first,
and
also
the most effective
measure
could be to
make
it expensive to
own
and
use
a
car
. This
measure
can
be implemented
by taxing
heavily
on initial
car
purchasing, congested roads using, and petrol consuming. By doing
so
,
people
might
start
considering reducing their
car
use
,
especially
for the unnecessary trips.
However
, there is a drawback of this approach that it is
often
the poorer residents will suffer from the increased cost. The poor might
have to
cut
some
necessary trips
because
of the financial burden, whereas the rich ones would be able to maintain their convenience from
car
use
.
Therefore
, this
measure
may be effective,
but
not
fair
to the poor.
Another way to discourage
people
from using their
cars
is to encourage them using alternative
transports
, such as trains, buses, and bicycles. Evidence has shown that cities, such as Tokyo and Paris, where better public
transport
systems
are offered
,
car
use
rates are lower and roads are less congested.
People
will
only
be most willing to
use
public
transports
when they are almost or even more convenience than driving their
cars
.
Therefore
,
governments
could invest more in infrastructure and
transport
system design and construction in order to provide adequate and competitive alternatives.
To conclude
, increasing the cost of having and using a
car
could be an effective way to
reduce
the
car
use
.
However
, improving and encouraging the
use
of public
transports
could be the better and more sustainable way to achieve this goal.