All good things come to an end. Whether you regard the motoring era as a good thing will depend on your viewpoint. Everything evolves, nothing stays still, and it is quite clear we are coming to the end of the Motoring Era, as we know it. So what now? This is what is going to happen.
Within a generation, say 50 years, we will be driving small light but comfortable vehicles, seating four with minimum luggage, powered by electricity supplied by fuel cells. The power will be sufficient for needs and safety. We will need an electronic permit to go more than a certain radius distance from our home. The vehicle simply will not go further than that.
All travelling will be done off what we now call motorways, which will be reserved exclusively for goods, buses/coaches, and priviledge vehicles. Priviledge vehicles will be by permit only and will be for people who need fast long distance secure personal transport. Government ministers might be an example. The heavy goods vehicles will disgorge into eco-friendly smaller commercial versions of the local only personal transport vehicles, at the equivalent of the old railway marshalling yards, as will the buses.
Most people, wishing to go outside their permitted area will have to use what we now call public transport. I would suggest it will no longer be called that, but rather something like "National" transport. This will be frequent and very fast and very clean, much like Eurostar is now.
At the destination will be available subsidised, very cheap to rent personal transport vehicles, much like our own, back home, for our holiday, business use or whatever. Or of course we can walk or hire even cheaper pedal cycles if we are inclined that way, or go on a local bus.
You think 50 years is too soon? Really? Look back to 1949 and think what was normal then, and I remember it for I was driving then. With today's accelerating evolution, I would suggest that 50 years is too long, not too small. The first near suitable personal transport vehicles are beginning to appear in cars such as the Ford Ka and the Mercedes Town Car, and others. We are told that fuel cell power will be generally available in five years time. It is all happening.
Currently we are going through a period of anti-car legislation regarding where we can drive and how fast, and the cost is ever spiralling upwards. These are growing pains. Some organisations are fighting them vigorously, and there will always be such organisations, well meant in the majority. Their efforts will be in vain. Evolution is upon us!
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