Car ownership isn't essential since social life isn't essential. Independence puts overrated and not essential neither.
Car ownership is a choice and it's becoming more important to justify it more critically.
We moved to 1 minute walk from the station which allowed hourly trains to on site work locations for both my partner and I. However a flaw is the nearest bus route with regular buses is about 40 minutes walk away. That bus goes towards a station which has mainline trains stop at it l great when our train isn't running but not exactly great in our wet weather. There is a bus from our village, one in and one back. If you miss those it's an expensive taxi.
All that doesn't work for my work site, to get there when trains aren't running I've got to walk 40 minutes, catch a bus to a small village near to a local town, then catch another bus to the town I work in. Then a 20 plus minute walk. All in all it would probably take me about 3 hours to get to work each way without the train.
So that means car isn't essential. I have a few options. Preferred is WFH which is what I mostly do. Second is train, I also do. Third is car when train isn't running and I have to go in. Fourth I have no intention of doing. That is personal choice and in the interests of family life I take that choice over bus and walk. It still doesn't make car essential.
It is this idea that if the alternatives are too difficult then car use is essential that is the problem.
For me it takes a lot to make it too difficult, a 6 hours round trip is too difficult for me but car use is usually still avoidable.
A 13 mile cycle ride might be too difficult for some, I'd see that as a positive option personally. Good training potential! Fitness and health benefits.
Just checked bus route. Next option is 7:49 tomorrow morning to arrive 3 hours 32 minutes later. That is my only non train or car option BTW. I start work by 830 and do 8 hours. Buses don't work for my work hours. I can walk to a few villages away, bus, walk, bus and more walking which takes at least 2.5 hours!
Anyway, I digress. Cars are avoidable so not essential. However alternatives have varying levels of feasibility. This is my view as a countryside dweller. Suburbanites and city dwellers imho have more options or often a lot better options. You could say no excuses cars aren't essential for town and city dwellers, but it's a choice made with excuses to opt for a car.
