Cars going out of fashion?

[strictlybroadband]

Last Saturday I had to go shopping down Oxford Street... something that's not normally much fun. The authorities had closed most of the street to all traffic and it was fantastic. Instead of cramming pedestrians onto the narrow pavements, we could use the whole width of the road. People were smiling instead of barging each other. There was no traffic noise, so you could hold a conversation. There were no fumes to breath. I hope they extend this idea - it was a reminder of how much cars destroy our lifestyles.

Then I heard this morning that 5 years ago, 40% of Londoners drove every day. Today it's only 18% - maybe the century-long rise of the car has peaked and we're on the come-down. Which is nice.

[Robches]

Perhaps they can't be arsed to pay Red Ken ?8 for the privilege of using their taxed cars and taxed fuel to drive on the roads their taxes have already paid for?

[Sam Slater]

I agree with you SB. I was in London last weekend with my girlfriend, and walking down Oxford street was much nicer than usual (well the bit between Tottenham Court road & Regent street at least!

Most main shopping areas in big cities are pedestrianised these days. Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester...., yet London hasn't been. It would be much more relaxed, quiter & a better place to shop, without the constant roar of traffic, and people taking up pavement space due to bus queues.

As for people driving everyday..........well it may be down in London, but over the rest of the country, I'd guess it's risen. Maybe the congestion charges, ontop of the hassle of driving in London has something to do with those figures?

[strictlybroadband]

Maybe... whatever the reason, it's good news for London.

[strictlybroadband]

The problem with the standard British approach to pedestrianisation is that you end up with a clone town centre that looks like any other, and the traffic get diverted around in a big ring road, so pollution and traffic end up worse, not better. This has happened to almost every town and small city in England, and if you were dropped into the typical pedestrianised mall you wouldn't be able to guess where you were. Most towns have now fallen to this blight, and only the biggest cities have managed to maintain any real character.

So Ken's approach seems to be the right one - don't divert the traffic, but get people out of their cars instead. London is a nicer place to live than it was pre-Ken (but damn expensive as a result).

[stm distribution]

I drove to london last weekend,no congestion charge but it was ?8 per hour to park on a meter,what a fucking liberty,thats why people dont drive into london in the week aswell cos you got ?8 on top of that in congestion charge,red fucking ken the terrorist friend talks bollocks saying people are getting greener by not taking their cars into london,they cant afford it,and the bus queues well forget that and what about all the emissions from all the diesel bus's and cabs its sticks now as much as it did ten years ago when i lived in london

[IdolDroog]

You're all in fucking London though!!! It's easy to say that but try living in the middle of the countryside and not owning a car. I couldnt even geta job until i got my car.

[Sam Slater]

Aren't 80% of car journeys less than 2 miles or something? I think thats the problem. My neighbour gets a paper every morning in his car, yet the newsagents is literally 3 mins walking time away.

I overheard a conversation the otherday where a man was talking to someone on his mobile. Part of the conversation was "I can't be arsed to go through the 'drive through' tonight hun, can't we just order food?" What a lazy cunt he is!