Automologist and true-blue petrolhead, MAC, is mooting the idea of banning cars in more cities. (You okay, mate?)
Globally, there are three cities that have officially banned the car in totality. Many more have placed some form of partial ban on personal transportation. The advocates of banning the car will tell you of the amazing benefits the bans have had on their cities. Ljubljana in Slovenia is one of these places.
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting this city and found its quaint medieval streets that nestle along the banks of the river to be a reminder of long forgotten times, as the streets are filled with chatting pedestrians rather than traffic. If you own a car and live in the city centre, then, well, tough luck, really, as you will have to have a garage outside the car-free area and complete your trip home by foot.
The elderly, disabled or mothers with children can get a free taxi ride, in an electric taxi, of course. The city claims that business and tourism have both increased since the ban that came into effect ten years ago.
Some 19 years ago, Pontevedra in Spain also banned cars and now the city claims that 70% of all trips around the central area are by foot. The ban, according to the authorities there, has made the city more liveable; as a result, the urban population has increased as 12,000 new citizens chose to move back into the city. Of course, this may be those people who are too lazy to walk to work.
Copenhagen in Denmark is also amongst the leaders in banning the car and has now designated 96,000 square metres as car-free. About 66% of the population commute to work by bicycle, but then, Denmark is a pretty flat country and there are few of those pesky hills that can make cycling tiring. I love cycling but I cannot imagine my daily commute on a bicycle in Kuala Lumpur; it is simply too hot and I would arrive at work needing a shower.
The fact is that many cities around the world were laid down well before the advent of the motorcar and are simply not designed to cope with them. It doesn’t matter how many new roads the urban planners try to squeeze in, the traffic will always expand to fill them to bursting point shortly after they are opened.
So, the question is: should we ban cars from all cities to make cities more liveable or is a traffic-clogged city just the sign of the times? Would love to hear from you about this.