What do you want in the place of cars?

[Gillstay]

I just can't get over how expensive and ill thought out Britains public transport is. Here in Germany, my kids go to a school on the other side of town, just over 5 kilometers away. We've bought a yearly bus pass for our kids which costs €300 for each child, the best part is, that because we live over 4km away, the town reimburse us for that, so making it free.

Along with subsidised buses, we also have the trains here that are subsidised. I work over 45km away in the big city and I commute by riding to the train station, popping my folding bike on the train for free, then riding the last few kilometers from the train station to work. 10 years ago a monthly train ticket for my region cost me €180. Then five years ago they created a jobticket, so my train ticket was deducted straight from my pay packet before tax, so reducing my monthly bill to €110. Then this year the government introduced the €49 a month Deutschland ticket, meaning you can travel the entire country on regional trains for just €49. My regional government thought they could better that and created their own job ticket which has all of the benefits of the countrywide ticket, but is deducted like before from my wages. So long story short, I now pay €33 a month for a ticket that enables me to travel anywhere in the country if I so wished.

Along with that is the excellent bike provisions on the trains, essentially folding bikes are free and regular bikes are €5.50 a day, with no pre-booking needed. This is all on the slower regional trains though, but essentially taking a car to work for me is a complete no-brainer. Heres the lower deck bike space on my daily train:

View attachment 709924

So is your area the same a s Switzerland where the road tax helps pay for the trains ?

 

[Drago]

The car is only convenient for those inside it. It's a dangerous, polluting, space taking, resource munching embuggerance and inconvenience for the rest of us.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I just can't get over how expensive and ill thought out Britains public transport is. Here in Germany, my kids go to a school on the other side of town, just over 5 kilometers away. We've bought a yearly bus pass for our kids which costs €300 for each child, the best part is, that because we live over 4km away, the town reimburse us for that, so making it free.

Along with subsidised buses, we also have the trains here that are subsidised. I work over 45km away in the big city and I commute by riding to the train station, popping my folding bike on the train for free, then riding the last few kilometers from the train station to work. 10 years ago a monthly train ticket for my region cost me €180. Then five years ago they created a jobticket, so my train ticket was deducted straight from my pay packet before tax, so reducing my monthly bill to €110. Then this year the government introduced the €49 a month Deutschland ticket, meaning you can travel the entire country on regional trains for just €49. My regional government thought they could better that and created their own job ticket which has all of the benefits of the countrywide ticket, but is deducted like before from my wages. So long story short, I now pay €33 a month for a ticket that enables me to travel anywhere in the country if I so wished.

Along with that is the excellent bike provisions on the trains, essentially folding bikes are free and regular bikes are €5.50 a day, with no pre-booking needed. This is all on the slower regional trains though, but essentially taking a car to work for me is a complete no-brainer. Heres the lower deck bike space on my daily train:

View attachment 709924

You northerners, getting all the subsidies et c...

I'm reminded again that Baden-Württemberg, though excellent in many ways, is more than a little conservative when it comes to getting people out of cars compared to other states.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Of course you would be walking with a rucksack full of folders and textbooks for your lesson as well, possibly a musical instrument or a hockey stick and a PE bag (and in my daughters case a large item of textiles or a tailors dummy on some occasions!) - so I hope you have a strong back.

Yep that’s what I did, with a euphonium on the bike rack or if walking in my hand. Needing to carry those things to school is not a reason to drive your child.

Though am surprised in the 21st century that all the bulky text books I used to carry haven’t been replaced by electronic versions on a kindle or tablet.

Plus don’t school kids have lockers now to store any textbooks they don’t need to take home for homework?

A 2 to 2.5 tonne car seems somewhat overboard to carry a few books a short distance.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Though am surprised in the 21st century that all the bulky text books I used to carry haven’t been replaced by electronic versions on a kindle or tablet.

Having seen the rate at which my kids destroyed cell phones, I'm not.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Yep that’s what I did, with a euphonium on the bike rack or if walking in my hand. Needing to carry those things to school is not a reason to drive your child.

Though am surprised in the 21st century that all the bulky text books I used to carry haven’t been replaced by electronic versions on a kindle or tablet.

Plus don’t school kids have lockers now to store any textbooks they don’t need to take home for homework?

A 2 to 2.5 tonne car seems somewhat overboard to carry a few books a short distance.

German schools often make kids take the textbooks home; kids many school bags have wheels.

 

[presta]

For me, the methods given earlier aren't an alternative. There is no car to fall back on for convenience.

But as I keep saying, the alternatives are practical for a majority.

 

[chris667]

A poxy four or five miles. I'd walk, and I'm old with a dodgy hip.

Exactly. People are not designed to be sat living in little boxes, but that's the way the world seems to be at the minute. Makes it easier to tell us what to think.

 

[chriswoody]

So is your area the same a s Switzerland where the road tax helps pay for the trains ?

To be honest I don't know where road fund goes to. Germany is unsurprisingly a very car centric country, with firms like the VAG group, BMW, Mercedes etc, providing a very powerful lobby in the government. Despite that, because of the nature of the government system, the Green party are part of a power sharing coalition and have really pushed for initiatives like the Deutschland ticket.

A lot of other subsides though come about through the regional government system or Bündisland. In essence, Niedersachsen, where I live have created the Job ticket that allows for me to have a reduced fair on my rail travel and the kids to have free bus passes.

Though am surprised in the 21st century that all the bulky text books I used to carry haven’t been replaced by electronic versions on a kindle or tablet.

My kids have to take huge rucksacks and yet they have large baskets on the back of their bikes to accommodate them for the days where they cycle. It's not at all uncommon here to see young kids cycle alone across town to school with large rucksacks in baskets on rear racks.

 

[classic33]

But as I keep saying, the alternatives are practical for a majority.

And as you've said, you prefer the convenience of the car over other methods. That bit needs sorting out/ addressing first, then start saying what others can do to help the situation.

 

[marzjennings]

And as you've said, you prefer the convenience of the car over other methods. That bit needs sorting out/ addressing first, then start saying what others can do to help the situation.

I'm in the same boat (car) as others, much preferring the convenience of owning a car over any of the other methods. I can't see that changing until I'm unable to drive any more. I remember living in Reading and getting my first car, and making crazy decisions late on a Friday night to head to Croyde Bay for a dawn surfing session. I'm still going to want that option, though in the near future it's more likely to be a call that my mum is sick rather than the need to go surfing. My wife thinks I'm crazy that I will want a car when we move back to the UK. She's all good with buses, trains, uber and rental cars. She really misses those things as the only option to move around Houston is by personal car, and thinks it'll be a waste of cash to have a car just sitting there half the time. Hopefully it'll something electric with a bit of poke, long range, that I can keep in the garage ready to go whenever.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A poxy four or five miles. I'd walk, and I'm old with a dodgy hip.

This casual acceptance and excuse making for using cars to travel short journeys is a large part of the problem, and is certainly nothing to feel smug or boast about simply because you can do it inexpensively.

This sums up it up

 

[Ming the Merciless]

German schools often make kids take the textbooks home; kids many school bags have wheels.

But even carrying your textbooks you don’t need every one every day. Not all subjects are taught every day.

 

[icowden]

But even carrying your textbooks you don’t need every one every day. Not all subjects are taught every day.

No, but it is usually at least 5 subjects. So that's 5 lever arch files and 5 or more text books. Bonus files if you have extra lessons such as further maths.
Although to me it's irrelevant as the car is the only option.

 

[icowden]

This sums up it up

It would do, but literally no-one has ever said that. Issues are usually around road safety and the modern fears of kidnap and rape exacerbated by global instant news and the gutter press.