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in 2006, the drop in traffic was in Pontevedra now walk to school. Cars are a very ineicient way to get around – other modes of transport are capable
accompanied by fewer asthma For cities that are considering of moving far more people per hour in the same urban space
attacks in children. car restrictions, several options
Rail 22,000
Unsurprisingly, car bans also are available. One is to ban
seem to reduce road accidents. petrol and diesel cars but permit Pedestrians 19,000
The city of Pontevedra in Spain, zero-emission electric vehicles.
for example, has had zero road Another is to ban all cars. A third Cyclists 14,000
deaths in its central zone since it is to change the way the city is
Bus 9000
was closed off to all non-essential organised so that walking, cycling
vehicles in 1999. and public transport are more Private car 2000
Additional evidence shows that attractive than driving.
SOURCE: SUSTRANS
car restrictions help to promote Audrey de Nazelle at Imperial
active lifestyles. In Copenhagen, College London believes that extra trams to existing lines, Yes to Cars in Oslo is filled with
which has turned many of its getting rid of all cars, except for made public transport cheaper, complaints about how the city’s
streets into car-free walkways and those belonging to less mobile and started offering subsidies for “war on cars” is infringing on
cycleways since the 1960s, over people and essential services, is electric bikes. personal freedoms, making it
60 per cent of residents now cycle the winning option. Restricting Few private cars still drive into unpleasant to get around in
to work, compared with 2 per cent fossil fuel cars while still allowing the city centre, leaving a trickle winter, reducing visitor numbers
of people in London. Similarly, electric vehicles doesn’t go far of taxis, delivery vans and and hurting local businesses.
more than 80 per cent of children enough, she says. public service vehicles. A recent “Oslo has become a ghost town!”
“It will reduce air pollution, but Greenpeace report found that the one post says.
I still think it’s short-sighted and city now has some of the cleanest However, Marcussen says it
a missed opportunity for more air in Europe. is actually the car-free parts of
holistic thinking about health,” Large, sprawling cities like Oslo that now attract the most
says de Nazelle. Modelling Sydney present additional
suggests that the health benefits challenges because they are harder “Our grandchildren will
gained by cities going car-free to traverse on bike or foot, says probably look at pictures
would be 30 times greater than Dorina Pojani at the University of of our car-clogged cities
those from switching to electric Queensland in Australia. But she and think we were crazy”
vehicles, because it would also still thinks they could go car-free
reduce accidents and promote with well-connected public visitors – both locals and tourists.
more exercise. transport systems. And Nieuwenhuijsen disagrees
“We need to move away from with the argument that everyone
extreme individualism – wanting should have the right to drive.
Radical change
to have our own separate car and “We banned smoking inside
Taking all cars out of the equation detached house – and start buildings because we realised the
would also let us radically reshape embracing communal effects of the pollution on other
city landscapes and make them consumption patterns like public people,” he says. “Now we’re
more people-friendly. The space transport and apartment-living,” realising the same thing with cars.”
freed up could be repurposed for she says. Better public transport It is difficult to imagine
other activities, like playgrounds, would also reduce congestion, weaning ourselves off cars
markets and community events, which currently traps Sydney because we have become so used
says de Nazelle. motorists in their cars for an to them, says Nieuwenhuijsen.
Given that many people estimated three weeks per year. “We just get in a car and go from
would baulk at the thought of But not everyone supports these A to B without thinking about the
banning cars altogether, less car-free visions. The Madrid impact,” he says. But de Nazelle
extreme approaches may work Association of Automobile thinks it is only a matter of time
better. Similar effects can be Dealers, for example, has raised before other cities follow the lead
achieved by simply making concerns about the Spanish city’s of Madrid and Oslo.
other modes of transport imminent ban on all cars except “Change will happen because
more convenient, says Hanna for electric models and those we’ll no longer be able to accept
Marcussen, the vice mayor for belonging to residents, less mobile living in places where we can’t
urban development in Oslo. people, delivery drivers and send our children out to play
Since 2015, Oslo has turned essential services. The group says because of the pollution and the
many of its roads into walkways it will discriminate against people danger of cars zooming past,” she
and cycleways and removed all who can’t afford electric cars and says. “Our grandchildren will
on-street parking from its centre those living further out, while also probably look at pictures of our
to discourage car use. It has also discouraging visitors to the city. car-clogged cities in 2018 and
extended its rail network, added Similarly, the Facebook page think we were crazy.” ■
27 October 2018 | NewScientist | 23
