unit 11 bbe covered on foot. In short, when people own cars, they tend to walk less, thus removing a major means by which peaple maintain day-to-day fitness. Finally, widespread car use can have a negative effect on comrnunity life. There is evidence that people who live on streets with high volumes of traffic are less likely to know or interact with their neighbours. This tdo can have a negative impact on people's sense of well-being These factors alone are unlikely to discourage people from buying cars. However, more could be done to make the public more aware of the disadvantages of car ownership. Providing alternative means of transport would encourage people to use their cars less and enjoy some of the benefits of a car-free environment, Part 3: Exam practice Task 1: Model answer The table compares modes of transport used in four countries: the USA, the UK, France and the Nethertands. Percentages of journeys made by car, bicycle, public transport and on foot are given. The bar chart shows the results of a survey into reasons people in the USA travel to work by car. ‘As can be seen from the table, cars were the most frequently used form of transport in all four countries. However, the proportion of journeys made by car ranged from a low of 47 per cent in the Netherlands to a high of ‘90 per cent in the USA. Figures for the other forms of transport also varied considerably. Not surprisingly, in the Netherlands, a high proportion of trips were made by bicycle (26%] and on foot (18%I. The highest rate of public transport use was in France, where nearly one in five journeys was made by public transport. The bar chart provides information that may help explain why car use is so high in the USA. The most frequently cited reason was lack of any other alternative (38%!. Although a sizable percentage said it was more convenient (21%), the other factors listed appeared to relate more to need than preference, e.g. working night shift Overall, the figures show considerable variation in modes of transport used, though the car continues to dominate in most contexts, Task 2: Model answer Mass car ownership clearly has a number of undesirable consequences for people's health and fitness as well as for the environment and community life generally. Nevertheless, owning a car is stil seen as a desirable option. In fact, the number of cars in the world today is fast approaching one billion. Although this trend may seem inexorable, there is much that can be done to discourage unnecessary car use. One possible approach is to make cars expensive to own and use, for example, by taxing them at the point of purchase or annually through a road tax. Certain types of car use, for instance short journeys within already congested cities, can also be discouraged through road- pricing schemes such as that operating in London. However, these punitive measures alone are unlikely to have a major impact unless alternative means of transport are available Evidence suggests that where public transport options are plentiful, convenient and reliable, people will use them. Inhabitants of cities such as Paris, which have invested heavily in commuter rail networks, are more likely to use public transport than people living in cities where such networks have been allowed to deteriorate. Aless expensive and more environmentally sound option is to create a network of cycle lanes and other facilities for cyclists, such as safe weather-proof shelters for parking bicycles. This has the additional advantage of encouraging peopte to keep fit whilst allowing them the ftexibitity of autonomous travel. Cities in the Netherlands, which have relatively high rates of cycling, have shown how this can work In brief, the trend towards rising car ownership and use need not be inexorable. People can be encouraged to use other means of transport. However, rhetoric alone is unlikely to bring about change. Investment in practical alternatives is what is needed above all. Answerkey 14.