Imagine a world where we don't all have the right to drive...

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MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
I was thinking last night... what if, instead of just buying a provisional licence, buying some driving lessons, then buying a car ...we had to somehow prove that we needed a car.

For example, someone like me who lives in a town, works a mile away from home, is able bodied and doesn't need a car, would be refused a provisional licence and therefore would be unable to take driving lessons or own a car.

Someone like my dad, who lives in a village and can't walk fifty yards without getting out of breath, would be permitted to hold a licence and own a car due to his health.

My brother lives in a town, drives twenty miles to work (40mins), but is able bodied and could use public transport or cycle... but it'd take 2 hours to cycle each way, and public transport isn't 'direct' and would take 1hr40mins each way, so could be permitted a licence in his circumstances.

My sister's a housewife, lives right out in the sticks, on top of a hill. The nearest shop is four miles and public transport (apart from the school bus) is non existent, would be allowed a car.

If my dad's health improved, or my brother got a new job half a mile away from home, or my sister moved down the hill where there's a shop and a bus stop, their right to drive would be reviewed and if it's decided that they no longer needed a car, their licences would be suspended.

Basically, if we want a car, we have to demonstrate that we actually need one. The assessors would be tough. If there's direct public transport, or one is capable of walking/cycling to work, the shop, etc... they'd be refused.

There'd be a lot less cars on the road.
 

Lavender Rose

Specialized Fan Girl
Location
Ashford, Kent
I like the idea, but it would never work because as people we can buy what we want. We could never go from being able to have a car freely to having to earn it? People would be screaming all sorts of 'cards'
 

KneesUp

Guru
So would I qualify?

I used to work 18 miles from home. In a previous job I had to be mobile - sometimes I was sent to work at an office 40 miles away for a week. Sometimes I worked from home. Sometimes I had to tour various branches in area covering perhaps a hundred square miles. Sometimes those areas were an hour from my house.

At the moment I live 3 miles from work (and I don't use the car to get here) but my family is all over the country, and as a family we use the car at the weekend to get to see them, or go to 'interesting' places. We also camp, and take a trailer (small car, big tent) as well as the bikes.

If the qualification was based on your commute, people would move further from work so they could have a car for leisure reasons, thus making pollution worse.
 
Location
Loch side.
Imagine a world where your freedom to move around is restricted.
Imagine a world where you can't read the local classifieds, hook a trailer and go fetch your new spare bed.
Imagine a world where you can't put a bike in your car and find a nice scenic place to start a ride.
Imagine a world where you are at the beg and call of time tables.
Imagine a world where choice is taken away from you.
Imagine a world where more fuel is consumed by piecemeal deliveries than by bulk personal shopping.
Imagine a world where insanity prevails.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
If the qualification was based on your commute, people would move further from work so they could have a car for leisure reasons, thus making pollution worse.
Like as not what would happen as it does in Rome (I think) you can only use your car on specific days depending on the last number in your registration or something like that, those that could affod to bought multiple cars.
Imagine a world where your freedom to move around is restricted.
Imagine a world where you can't read the local classifieds, hook a trailer and go fetch your new spare bed.
Imagine a world where you can't put a bike in your car and find a nice scenic place to start a ride.
Imagine a world where you are at the beg and call of time tables.
Imagine a world where choice is taken away from you.
Imagine a world where more fuel is consumed by piecemeal deliveries than by bulk personal shopping.
Imagine a world where insanity prevails.
Imagine a world like China, or was it Russia or for that matter Corbyn's Britain.
 

KneesUp

Guru
Imagine a world like China, or was it Russia or for that matter Corbyn's Britain.

You were doing so well ... Why do we have to reduce political debate to 'that person is more left/right wing that I think sensible so therefore they are Marx / Hitler'? I know our politicians aren't the best at the moment, but the pathetic level of political debate amongst the electorate is part of the reason we have them, driving the country off the edge of a cliff of their own free will.
 
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