Public Transport Versus Private Cars
http://www.culturesociety.net/articles/7300/1/Public-Transport-Versus-Private-Cars/Page1.html
Shaun Parker
Shaun Parker investigates the various needs and requirements of people living life with a disability or loss of mobility due to illness, injury or old age. If you need disabled access then visit his site. By Shaun Parker
Published on 10/26/2008
A look at how the economic slump has benefitted the used car market as people look for cheaper alternatives to new cars and more efficient alternatives to public transport.
Despite the uproar over fuel prices in recent years, the amount of traffic on the road only ever increases. Apparently, people are pulling in their belts, tightening the purse strings and budgeting to within an inch of their lives in fear of the impending recession. Or at least this is what we are told and this is what new car manufacturers say is to blame for their lack of sales this year.
However, this situation is not the same for the second hand car market. The one area that has benefited from the downturn in public spending is used cars, Manchester being one of the hotspots given its huge population and the vast area that the city is spread across.
Of course, the government would like to crack down on the amount of traffic on the road and they encourage us to use public transport but, despite improvements in this in recent years, it's still not that reliable and our main concern when waking in the morning is to get to work on time in order to keep our jobs and not lose them in this difficult economic climate.
So, we need to get to where we are going in a hurry, we need reliable transport to do it with and we don't want to pay the earth for it. Hence we buy used cars, Manchester citizens say. Is it any wonder then, that a fourteen per cent rise in the amount of traffic on the road has been recorded over the last ten years?
The majority of this traffic is in the form of cars. Car traffic accounts for nearly eighty per cent of all road traffic which is good news for those dealing in used cars, Manchester salesmen report record sales of late and are prospering.
Given that people are trying to find ever more inventive ways to make money and keep their heads above water, it would seem that according to government statistics, light van traffic has increased forty per cent in the last ten years. This could well be due to people starting up their own small businesses to elevate income.
Roads in Great Britain are estimated to be just under 400,000 kilometres in length with 87 per cent of this being 'B', 'C' or unclassified roads. It is estimated that nearly half of all road users exceed the speed limit regularly and with over 3,500 deaths, 171 of which were children and just under 300,000 total road casualties in the UK per year, is it any wonder that the transport department are installing extra traffic calming measures everywhere?
The drive to reduce traffic as well as pollution and decrease road casualties has worked well in London with a congestion charge forcing regular users to either look at how economic or environmentally friendly their vehicle is or perhaps use public transport more frequently.
It seems the use of vehicles whether they be through public transport, new cars or used cars will be an on-going debate to try and get the balance right. Reliable, cheap transport is required by just about everybody these days. Yet we are told it is ruining the environment. Public transport leaves a lot to be desired so we use our own cars but pay through the nose for fuel and taxes. At the moment the struggle goes on between government charges and road users and this will continue to rage until a suitable balance is found for all.
However, this situation is not the same for the second hand car market. The one area that has benefited from the downturn in public spending is used cars, Manchester being one of the hotspots given its huge population and the vast area that the city is spread across.
Of course, the government would like to crack down on the amount of traffic on the road and they encourage us to use public transport but, despite improvements in this in recent years, it's still not that reliable and our main concern when waking in the morning is to get to work on time in order to keep our jobs and not lose them in this difficult economic climate.
So, we need to get to where we are going in a hurry, we need reliable transport to do it with and we don't want to pay the earth for it. Hence we buy used cars, Manchester citizens say. Is it any wonder then, that a fourteen per cent rise in the amount of traffic on the road has been recorded over the last ten years?
The majority of this traffic is in the form of cars. Car traffic accounts for nearly eighty per cent of all road traffic which is good news for those dealing in used cars, Manchester salesmen report record sales of late and are prospering.
Given that people are trying to find ever more inventive ways to make money and keep their heads above water, it would seem that according to government statistics, light van traffic has increased forty per cent in the last ten years. This could well be due to people starting up their own small businesses to elevate income.
Roads in Great Britain are estimated to be just under 400,000 kilometres in length with 87 per cent of this being 'B', 'C' or unclassified roads. It is estimated that nearly half of all road users exceed the speed limit regularly and with over 3,500 deaths, 171 of which were children and just under 300,000 total road casualties in the UK per year, is it any wonder that the transport department are installing extra traffic calming measures everywhere?
The drive to reduce traffic as well as pollution and decrease road casualties has worked well in London with a congestion charge forcing regular users to either look at how economic or environmentally friendly their vehicle is or perhaps use public transport more frequently.
It seems the use of vehicles whether they be through public transport, new cars or used cars will be an on-going debate to try and get the balance right. Reliable, cheap transport is required by just about everybody these days. Yet we are told it is ruining the environment. Public transport leaves a lot to be desired so we use our own cars but pay through the nose for fuel and taxes. At the moment the struggle goes on between government charges and road users and this will continue to rage until a suitable balance is found for all.