ENGLISH DEBATING TOURNAMENT 2022-2023

Motion Analysis:
«Are creating more pedestrian areas and improving public transport
efficient alternatives to private car use in urban centres?»

Traffic access is one of the core issues of municipal policy, particularly in

large cities. During the second half of the 20th century, owning a car (or
better still, two) was the best proof of middle-class prosperity. Traffic jams,
noise and pollution were common in many towns, but they were seen as
the price to pay for urban mobility and the prosperity that came with it.
The European Union has taken action on the issue through several
measures, including the adoption of the so-called “Urban Access
Regulations”. One of these regulations focuses on “Low Emission Zones”
and came into force last January.
One of the main issues has always been what alternatives to the private car
could be offered. These have been, mainly, two: on the one hand, the
pedestrianisation of city centres, in order to reduce car use for short
journeys in the heart of towns (e.g., the Sol area in Madrid); and, on the
other hand, the development of public transport (mainly buses and metro,
but also taxis, VTC or clean vehicles for hire), in order to ensure rapid access
to city centres.
Those who defend the “For” position must not only understand the aims of
urban traffic restrictions but, above all, analyse whether the alternatives
are sufficient. To this end, they need to study the main success stories of
such policies at the European level and prove that it is possible not only to
maintain, but even to improve urban mobility once all the problems of
massive private car use are reduced.
Those who argue against, can start by looking at the measures restricting
the private car and the harm they have caused, especially to the working
classes. But they should not stop there: the debate is about alternatives, so
they should argue that it is not possible to guarantee urban mobility, either
because public transport has not been adequately developed, or because,
despite major public works to that effect, the result has been insufficient.
The debate is, thus, served.