The Traffic Chaos in our Major Cities
Here are a few facts, which represents the result of increasing traffic levels:
Congestion wastes more than 2.3 billion gallons of fuel each year in the U.S.
The annual ‘lost' time per driver in the U.S. is in excess of 47 hours per year
Traffic delays cost the U.S. economy an estimated $63.1b per year
Drivers in central London spend 50 percent of their driving time in traffic jams.
It was estimated that London lost between £2-4M every week in terms of lost productivity caused by congestion
To solve the problem of increasing traffic levels, major cities have come up with different ideas. In London, for example, they have implemented the controversial Congestion Charge. Every vehicle that drives between 7:00am and 6:00pm within a clearly defined zone, has to pay £8 daily Congestion Charge. Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, had made transport to one of the main planks of his incumbency. His goal was to reduce traffic congestion and improve journey times by encouraging people to choose other forms of transport if possible. As a result, traffic levels have reduced by 21 percent, since the Congestion Charge started. Another positive effect is that cycling within the central London zone increased by 43 per cent, accidents and key traffic pollutants have reduced and most importantly, air quality has improved.
Sao Paulo in Brazil devised another way to deal with increasing traffic levels. Each vehicle has a specific day of the week, where it is not allowed to drive during rush hour. The license plate number determines the day on which you can drive. Traffic police and hundreds of strategically positioned traffic cameras, backed by computerized image-recognition systems, picks up vehicles that are on the roads without permission.
In the United States and Canada, they try to support carpools by offering special lanes on the roads that can be used only by cars carrying two or more people. These special lanes are called "HOV Lane" - High Occupancy Vehicle Lane. Unique schemes have been developed where people register to be a ‘car buddy' so that the car owner can use the HOV lane. A positive knock-on effect is that people have expanded their circle of friends as a result.
Cologne in Germany implemented a "Low Emission Zone" to enhance air quality and to avoid congestion. The "Low Emission Zone" allows only environmentally friendly cars to access the city centre. Cars with high pollutant levels and larger vehicle are banned from entering this zone. In order to drive into Cologne, you have to have a sticker saying that your car is not a polluting vehicle. Failure to do so will result in a fine. Unlike other cities that charge people to drive in major cities, Cologne has an excellent public transport system. Quite often, it is quicker to catch the train door to door than it is to drive
In today's world of climate change and global warming, it is good to see that cities can do something for the environment. Trying to decrease traffic volumes by implementing fees or even banning non environmentally friendly cars is not just good for the environment; it also benefits the residents with a better and more relaxed transport infrastructure by encouraging people to choose public transportation or even get on their bike!
For the traveller however, many of the major car rental companies have green fleets that would make even the most environmentally conscious city happy. In Europe, most of the car rental companies have diesel cars on their fleet and in the USA, Hybrid cars are common. In Australia, the Toyota Prius is the car of environmental choice. So, even the most ardent Eco-Traveller will be accommodated when renting a car.
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Car Guru writes for DriveAway Holidays, DriveAway Holidays New Zealand and DriveAway Holidays Blog
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