The European Commission on Monday unveiled a “single European transport area” aimed at enforcing “a profound shift in transport patterns for passengers” by 2050.
The plan also envisages an end to cheap holiday flights from Britain to southern Europe with a target that over 50 per cent of all journeys above 186 miles should be by rail.
Top of the EU’s list to cut climate change emissions is a target of “zero” for the number of petrol and diesel-driven cars and lorries in the EU’s future cities.
[blockquote] “That means no more conventionally fueled cars in our city centers,” he said. “Action will follow, legislation, real action to change behavior.”[/blockquote] You see the true face of bureaucrats in this nominal democracy. The relationship presented is that which exists between parent and child. However, by 2050, the EU will 1) probably not exist, and 2) be dealing with much more severe problems than the existence of cars in cities. Like the economic consequences of collapsed indigenous birthrates.
carl
I hope EU Countries (especially Britain) are finally waking up to the results of transferring sovereignty to an essentially unelected bureaucracy. The development of transportation was one of the main causes that brought down serfdom- now it seems they want to tie people to the land they were born to once again, all in the name of saving the environment. How is that different from say William I’s decree that the people’s status in life was ordained and that “God wanted you to be a serf?”
Rather reminds me of B. Bruce Briggs’ observation about those who take “bourgeois Europe as a model of a civilized society: a society just, equitable, and democratic; but well ordered, with the lines of authority clearly drawn, and with decisions made rationally and correctly by intelligent men for the entire nation.” I hope Europeans rise up [i]en masse[/i] and tell the EU where to put this one.
One of the great blessings of the past half century has been the democratization of travel. My grandparents never flew on a plane–I have been able to go places they could only read about.
As the EU “envisages an end to cheap holiday flights from Britain to southern Europe”, environmentalists in the US are wishing the same thing. Tom Friedman would love for air fuel to double in price, preventing middle class folks from traveling–including trips to the Holy Land and mission trips to Latin America or Africa–but of course he and the members of teh EU must continue to fly to make sure they attend all their important conferences that will tell the rest of us how we should live… Hypocrites.
Bill, I call them ‘airheads;’ Nothing between their ears but a vacuum.
Hmm, guess I’m a weird one around here because I would love to only have to use my car as a last resort. Since I’m disabled, I can’t drive much and, subsequently, am limited in what I can do. If we had a speedy rail service, I could visit my son far more often. And I would be able to see better doctors in DFW, rather than have to put up with the really lousy rheumatologist here in town.
Air travel has become an expensive, taxing and intrusive nightmare. A 25-minute flight from here to Dallas costs about $150 round-trip on a good day. A Greyhound bus ticket is half that and more comfortable but rail would be a better option.
#6
I too love rail. I’ve used it in a number of countries and always enjoy the journey FAR more than the miserable flying experiences on offer post-9/11. That said, rail travel, not just here, but abroad as well, has gotten quite expensive.
Which means that I will stick to driving……unless, of course, I have to travel over 500 miles, when I will reluctantly fly. Mind you, I love flying…..having been a private pilot. But airline flying’s gotten too expensive for anything but long distance flights.
I absolutely love trains, I have since my childhood. That said, building and/or improving rail beds and rolling stock is “Expensive . . . Very, Very Expensive!” There simply isn’t enough money, even in this prosperous country, to once again make rail “The King.” Imagine trying to even secure right-of-ways between smaller cities in this day and age.
Face it, the USA is one huge, geographically diverse, yet impossible country for developing rail (Rocky Mountains, anyone?) compared to what you’ll find in Western Europe. Yes, the US can and will continue investing in passenger service along its existing main rail routes, such as Boston – New York – D.C., however, the days of small inter-city branch lines are over, never to return. It rather well documented that Amtrak historically is little more than a big hole in which we are extended the privilege of pouring tons and tons of taxpayer money year after year, with little or no hope of ever seeing daylight.
Like it or not, cars are going to be with us in this country far into the future.