Letter: Car use down

The comment that car commuting is rising despite millions being spent on encouraging public transport and other sustainable modes (24 August) is misleading.

"Main Transport Trends", newly published by the Scottish Government, shows that commuting by car (at 67 per cent in 2009) was no higher than in 1999.

There has been the worrying feature that commuting in lone occupant cars is up from 54.6 per cent to 60.7 per cent with car-sharing in decline even at busy periods.

Overall, the 12 per cent bus commuting share is the same in 2009 as in 1999 with rail commuting in Scotland up from 3 per cent to 4 per cent in 2009 with an even greater rise in usage outwith commuting peaks.

Some 59 per cent of the population over the age of 16 now walk on trips more than a quarter mile at least once a week as a means of transport compared with 52 per cent in 1999. Those who walk for pleasure every week are up from 40 per cent to 48 per cent of the population.

Writing in the Local Transport Today issue of 20 August, Prof Phil Goodwin points to the growing weight of evidence that annual car use per person in Britain peaked between 1995 and 2000 with walking, cycling, bus and rail use all rising since these years compared with an absoloute fall in annual car use per person since 2005.

The evidence shows that "peak car use" is now in the past. This must cast severe doubt on the economic, social and health benefits of major road schemes and makes it all the more important to better manage the existing road network and to review the millions spent on public transport, walking and cycling to encourage greater shifts to these modes and a consequential boost to CO2 savings, quality of life benefits and shifts to energy conservation and alternative energy sources.

Tom Hart

Scottish Association for Public Transport

Queens Crescent

Glasgow