Sickness at the heart
of society
Roger Hicks
RAH@raumschiff-erde.de
26 November 2002
Sir - When are people
going to wake up to the
nightmare of the motor car and
realise that for more than
half a century transport
policy has been fundamentally
misguided [Motorway
travel times 30pc up on 1998,
26 November 2002]?
Just like many are addicted to
cigarettes, alcohol or worse,
the majority of us are
addicted to the motorcar.
Although the car is ruining
our cities, towns and villages
and making our lives a misery,
killing and maiming thousands
every year in this country
alone, not to mention the
damage it is doing to our
planet and to the prospects
for our children and coming
generations, we cannot even
conceive of living without it.
Why are we so blind? Our
addiction, and the fact that
we have normalised car
ownership and the expectation
of car ownership means that we
are locked into an ever
vicious circle. We have made
ourselves dependent on the car
and built our economy around
it. May our children forgive
us for what we are doing to
their planet.
Has your life been made
harder by the chaotic state of
the system? Do you have a
horror story to tell? The
Daily Telegraph would like to
hear details of how your
journey to work has become
more difficult, about your
most recent nightmare journey,
or your general observations
on how the transport system in
your area has changed
recently. Please e-mail your
contributions to transport@telegraph.co.uk
or write to Grinding to a
halt? c/o Newsdesk, The Daily
Telegraph, 1 Canada Square,
London E14 5DT.