Do you like / love driving a motor vehicle? Vote now please!

[mjr]

The reality is that most couples these days have both partners working, and their journeys to work are often in different directions.

I'm pretty sure that the census data suggests that isn't true. It's probably still common enough to be a significant obstacle to reform, but not "most" so let's not make it a bigger problem than it is.

Aim for something that can be achieved. If you go out and tell Mr. or Ms Average that you dream of a future without cars their eyes will glaze over and they will put you in the same pigeon hole as the folk who promote Hare Krishna. But tell them that you think they could have a better life if they used the car less and walked or cycled more, and you might see some interest.

What poverty of ambition! I say let's aim for what we actually want, but that doesn't mean we should tell Mx Average it the first time we meet them - let's tell them what we think they'll support at first, like the suggestion of above.

[Stevek76]

At least a third of car commutes were a comfortably cycleable distance (under 5 miles) in the 2011 census. I think even under 3 miles is close to a third.

Cars aren't going to go anywhere, much like they haven't gone anywhere in the Netherlands, but we use them far too much.

[Cyril Haearn]

Every month i have a meeting in Inverness.
Could fly, but drive.
I take my kayak sometimes, my fishing gear another, and often my bike. In good weather i camp for the night near Perth rather than use a hotel.. in winter snow the views are amazing ... and it's only 7 hours drive each way ... positively local ...

Madness! Obviously driving far too far is far too attractive
Don't you work in the railway industry?
Get the Caledonian Sleeper and save everything: cash time resources nerves!
zzzzzzz

[Vorpal]

Britain isn't that high up the world league table for vehicle ownership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... per_capita particularly in comparison with other so called advanced nations. High ownership appears more related to the wealth of a nation rather than how good it's public transport is. For example Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands have much better public transport networks than the UK. All have higher vehicle ownership. All are wealthier. It seems that if people can afford to buy cars they will.

First of all, the biggest factors are history of car ownership, capitalist economic development (rather than wealth), and population density.

Second of all, that table is rather misleading, although only a typically statistical way. They show you the average without the distribution.

In the UK, there is a big gap between households with a median or higher income and low-income households, where more than half do not have a car. The UK, however, has many households with two or more cars, and the poor are disproportionately disadvantaged by not having cars. They have more difficulty accessing necessary services, and spend more time commuting and travelling to and from services than people with cars. In addtion 2/3rds of poor job seekers do not have a car, which limits their access to jobs. Although some households int he UK choose not to have cars, the majority are car-less households are in transport poverty. Since 2002 there have been more households with access to two or more cars/vans than without any access at all. (see figure 13 of https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulation ... ailability)

In the Netherlands, which holds a very near place on the linked table, fewer households have two or more cars, and those that have no cars, are less liekly to experience transport poverty.

Here's a study about the economics of car ownership across several countries. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 1214602429

Here's a paper about transport poverty http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/94663/1/ ... lectic.pdf
Some statistics about transport poverty http://www.poverty.org.uk/75/index.shtml

And just for a bit of fun, a study about the role of the bicycle in a transport poverty... https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ka ... rlands.pdf

[landsurfer]

Every month i have a meeting in Inverness.
Could fly, but drive.
I take my kayak sometimes, my fishing gear another, and often my bike. In good weather i camp for the night near Perth rather than use a hotel.. in winter snow the views are amazing ... and it's only 7 hours drive each way ... positively local ...

Madness! Obviously driving far too far is far too attractive
Don't you work in the railway industry?
Get the Caledonian Sleeper and save everything: cash time resources nerves!
zzzzzzz

My 16 foot Wilderness Systems Sea Kayak does not fit in the Caledonian Sleeper i'm afraid ...

[Cyril Haearn]

Then you could paddle up there, simples

[Cyril Haearn]

Thread resurrection alert

Just been driving again, 1050 km (three trips), minusplus. Glad I shall not have to drive again for a while

[Marcus Aurelius]

I quite like the drive to and from work at present. It’s taking 10 minutes, it used to take about 30 before all this kicked off.

[carpetcleaner]

I quite like the drive to and from work at present. It’s taking 10 minutes, it used to take about 30 before all this kicked off.

Why didn't you cycle to work when traffic was heavy?

[Marcus Aurelius]

I quite like the drive to and from work at present. It’s taking 10 minutes, it used to take about 30 before all this kicked off.

Why didn't you cycle to work when traffic was heavy?

I did / still do. The main reason being the traffic made cycling quicker than driving. However I have to start at 6 am in the morning on every other ( 12 hour ) shift rotation, so cycling in can be a pain in the buttock on those shifts. Now that the return journey home isn’t as jammed up, the car seems a better option.

[Cyril Haearn]

Thread resurrection alert!

I upgraded my status* and reopened the poll, vote now please!

* Used to be a very experienced driver. Given up now, maybe permanently

[Bonefishblues]

A previously-resurrected thread being re-resurrected.

The Third Coming

[Cyril Haearn]

With good reason, to entertain and inform, even educate maybe

Other peoples circumstances may have changed too, besides we have many new members, and of course more votes=representative sample

[Bonefishblues]

Are you the BBC perhaps?

[Cyril Haearn]

Yes, except that I am a noble unpaid volunteer, not funded by a tax on the innocent €$€¥

Bet there are other threads worth resurrecting, it would be good if others dug some up
No-one is obliged to read them of course