‘People overestimate the constant need to use a car’

These are not our words, but those of a Bath University Psychologist, Ian Walker, and would apply to us here in Camden.

He goes on to say…

I am a psychologist and I am interested in behaviour change. I started looking at what journeys in Britain look like.

The bulk of car journeys are made with one person in the car for a short distance. Such a large proportion of these journeys do not need to be made in the first place.

When you look at why they don’t need to take that short trip that is where it gets interesting.  These are fairly unconscious decisions. When you get up in the day you don’t weigh up the pros and cons of getting dressed. It is a similar situation here.  If you are going to solve this problem you have to change a lot of things. We are starting in a really difficult position.

The public perception of the problem is not where it should be.  There are no consequences to driving half a mile down the road. That is not going to dissuade people from making these car journeys.  Despite all its criticism, these clean air zone plans are a good step forward from the council.

The response from some quarters of the Bath public to the clean air zone plans has been very negative.  Some have said this is a ‘blatant tax on the poor’.  Local traders say they are going to be ‘bludgeoned’ by the ‘catastrophic’ plan and garage owners say they could be put ‘out of business’.  Wiltshire councillors fear this will lead to a ‘patient tax’ at Bath’s Royal United Hospital.

I am not surprised at the reaction. We have had a 100 years of cars dominating our cities.  There is no one alive in the world where the motor car doesn’t come first. People will be perturbed by changes to the status quo.

“There have been quite a few studies over the years about habits of shoppers when they walk or drive in.  They showed that you actually spend more if you do not drive in and that helps the economy.  People overestimate the constant need to use a car. Most of the trips people make are convenience ones that are under a mile. Driving through the city is not good.

I know it is hard but we cannot pretend there is no consequence to our actions.

I think with two leading universities in the city we should be using and listening to them more.  We have quoted Ian Walker here and I know the council has hosted him at a meeting earlier this year but I also know a Professor of Automotive Engineering in the Powertrain and Vehicle Research Centre (PVRC) at Bath University.  They conduct ‘internationally prize-winning research, focusing on improving the efficiency and emissions of both diesel and petrol engines.  They have played an important role in the vital task of making a cleaner environment’.  When I last spoke to him no one from local government had spoken to him on their CAZ plans.  Expertise is on our doorsteps – we should make use of it!

Here is the link to the Ian Walker article in Somerset Live

Jeremy, Chair