1.
What
does the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS) report warn
about regarding the electrification of cars?
2. According to the report, what strategy does the government need to develop in order to improve people's quality of life without relying on cars?
3.
How
does the report criticize the government's approach to addressing traffic and
transportation challenges?
4.
What
are some of the alternative transportation methods that people are adopting in
cities?
Simply electrifying cars will not solve issues such as traffic jams, urban sprawl, and parking space problems. The report calls on the government to create a strategy that enables people to have a good quality of life without relying on cars.
Car
use has been neglected in government policy, which traditionally focused on
increasing road space to meet demand. Reducing demand for cars should be
prioritized instead.
While
there will always be people who need cars, many young people in cities are
opting for alternative transportation methods such as public transport,
cycling, and car sharing. This lifestyle change can lead to benefits like
reduced obesity, pollution, and road danger, as well as increased social
interactions.
Car
ownership is deemed inefficient due to the fact that vehicles remain parked for
approximately 98% of their existence, with one-third of cars not being utilized
every day.
The
government should prioritize walking, cycling, public transport, and
vehicle-sharing. They also suggest incentivizing local councils to create
housing developments that are easy to access without cars.
This
more active lifestyle means less obesity, pollution and road danger and greater
sociability as people meet their neighbors on their way to work.
It
also allows parking spaces to be liberated for more housing or gardens.
The
government, the authors say, should be encouraging other people to follow the
lead set by the young.
“It
is a happy accident that car ownership is static in every age group except the
over-60s"