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Era of The Personal Cars is Ending |
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by Dharmendra Kapri | 03-10-2014 17:10
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In the century since the Ford Model T was introduced in 1908, global vehicle numbers have swollen to well over a billion. But according to recent research, the growth spurt may have peaked. Professor Michael Sivak, at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has just published a series of reports on car use, and its environmental impact. His calculations show that ?motorisation? in the United States might have reached a peak in 2008, and that the figures have been on the decline since. That holds even when the global economic downturn, and its negative impact on car sales, is taken into account. He speculates that a number of factors could be contributing to the trend, probably making it more than a passing fad. These include increased telecommuting (or working from home) and the movement of populations back to city centres. Another way to examine the issue is to look at the number of households without a car. In the United States, the percentage going motor-less is increasing. New York, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, each have more than 30 percent of households without a light duty vehicle. In fact the figures show that 56 percent of households in New York (which top the list) do not have a car. Perhaps it is not so surprising in cities like New York, which have extensive public transport networks, and where the costs of parking can far outweigh the cost of a purchase of a subway ticket. But it is not the full story. In Los Angeles, only 12 percent of households are car-less, and in affluent San Jose, heart of Silicon Valley, it is only 5.8 percent.
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4 Comments
Thank you for sharing, Dharmendra!
Posted 30-11-2014 09:54
No of cars owned by population is inversely proportional to public transport system. More the public transport system develops, lesser the no. of cars.
The figures are promising for USA.
Thanks for reporting Dharmendra.
Posted 09-10-2014 21:07
This is a good news that % of personal car owners is declining. This would amount to reduction in carbon footprint. But still lot needs to be done globally to promote public transport & put a cap on number of cars per family. E.g The present rate of private car ownership in Dubai is as high as 541 cars for each 1000 person with an average number of passengers in each car as low as 1.3 people.This not only increases carbon footprint but also increases traffic congestion. Govts should start subsiding public transport and should increase tax and levies on private cars (for 2nd car onwards for a family) .
Posted 03-10-2014 21:56
Much focus should be given to the public transport. Extensive road/rail network should be made. easy and 24/7 access to public transport will help in reducing the use of Private cars/vehicles.
Thank you Dharmendra for sharing the post. :)
Posted 03-10-2014 21:55