Are Cars On Their Way Out?

by ISLA CAMPBELL

There is no doubting the usefulness of the humble car. No matter whether you have a small car for getting around town a few times a week, a large estate car for going on long journeys or something more robust for heading to and from work every day, you��ll no doubt have wondered from time to time what you would do without it.

But could we really live in a society where the car no longer existed? It��s fair to say that we have plenty of public transport systems that we can use to get around, but they don��t always meet up to our expectations. While they may be cheaper on some occasions, travelling on the bus or train can also take longer and the comfort level is arguably not quite the same as being in your own car.

The one thing that a car can give us that public transport cannot is versatility. When you need to buy your weekly shopping it is much easier to drive to the shops in your car and load everything into the boot than it is to struggle to the bus stop and wait ages for the right bus. You also cannot get it to drop you right to your door �C which is probably one of the reasons why a lot of people would be reluctant to give up their cars.

That also brings up another good point in favour of having your own vehicle. No matter how much money is ploughed into public transport, it can never get you as close to where you want to be as your own car can. You are also not bound by a timetable when you drive somewhere, since you can leave home whenever you wish and take your time to get to your destination.

As time goes on, however, there is the distinct possibility that we will see the end of the less fuel efficient car. Car manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make their cars more environmentally friendly and there is no doubt that the manufacturer who manages to do this first at a reasonable price to the buyer will sell a lot of cars as a result.

But will the way we use our cars change in the future, as more money is pumped into making public transport systems more accessible? It could happen �C and we don��t need to have better public transport either. There is no doubt that more of us could benefit from leaving our cars at home once in a while and walking to our destination instead, if it isn��t too far away.

But for now it seems we are happy to stick with our car as much as possible. We can buy our tax discs and car insurance online and it��s easier to hop in the car than it is to walk up the road and get a bus.

For the moment at least, it seems like the car is here to stay.