Even if everyone switches to electric cars, it won’t solve the overarching transport issue, says a new report.
Once again, an organisation is beating the drum of getting the general public to relinquish their cars in favour of cycling or walking, and the compromise of electric cars just isn’t good enough.
The Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS), comprised of academics from the Science Policy Research Unit has released its first major report that says it’s all well and good to let technology provide solutions for vehicle emissions, but it doesn’t address other areas of concern, like “continued car dependency leading to more urban sprawl, inactive lifestyles and congestion together with the lifecycle impacts of vehicles and batteries, charging infrastructure, and road and car parking capacity.”
“Once you own a car, there is a compelling temptation to use it even for simple journeys,” says CREDS’ Jillian Anable. “But it is a really expensive investment. If people do not have cars they can spend the money on other things.
“Often once people start to live without a car they wonder why they wanted one in the first place – a car is so much hassle.”
The AA also chimed in on another technological solution to traffic, discussing the possible ramifications of driverless cars.
“One vision of hell is that the driverless car turns up in the city centre where there is no parking,” president of the AA, Edmund King. “The occupant gets out to do their business, whilst the car just continues driving around for hours on end until beckoned back by the user.” He suggested shifting taxation away from fuel and to mileage instead, that’s tallied up and charged electronically.
Last month, commissioners advised that private car usage should be made harder to herd people towards the option of leaving their cars at home. [BBC]