Other than the fact that there are just too many of us on the planet (something for a different topic perhaps) the real problem is the way in which our society has developed.

Up until the invention of the motorcar, and for some time after that until they became affordable, most people lived within walking distance of their workplace. As transport systems developed it became possible to live further away but always within walking distance of a bus stop or a metro or rail station.

All this started changing after the WW2 and motor vehicle ownership increased allowing people to use their cars to commute from outer suburbs and quiet country villages. The development of roads and motorway systems made it more attractive to use the car than the train. And naturally the family now needed two or more cars so that everyone has the same mobility.

At the same time the public transport systems were run down and/or privatised where profit becomes the motivation. Those systems remaining became dirty and overcrowded or underused and reduced, in many cases railway lines were torn up and bus routes discontinued. All this placing more people onto the roads.

Now people are starting to re-think and the prices of housing near rail stations that are viable for commuting are increasing.

I see the Japanese model as being viable but it requires huge public and private investment. Today's metro system in Tokyo is just fantastic. Certainly it is crowded in peak hour but no more than any other major city. The trains are regular, fast, clean (the Japanese do not vandalise public property), on time. This is further supported by excellent bus systems. Peak hour traffic in Tokyo is virtually non existent as by and large only top managers in chauffeur driven cars go to work by car.

The high speed train system is an example for the rest of the world. If they are more than a minute late they apologise for the inconvenience. When you buy a ticket it is not unusual to be told that your train leaves Tokyo at 10:05 and at 12:25 it (the stop) will be Kyoto, and so it will be.

It has been known for many years that the only solution to traffic problems is to improve public transport systems but nothin, or very little, is ever dome about it.

Peter

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