Time to plan for urban life without cars? Societies addicted to cars

THE Volkswagen emmissions scandal underlined how ubiquitous the car is. It underlined how societies, this one included, depend on cars to function.

It emphasised the central significance of the car industry and how, like it or not, the stability of the eurozone is shackled to Germany’s premier industry, an industry that employs one in six Germans.

This car addiction comes with a huge cost. The AA reckons it costs more than €10,000 a year to run a family car. For many young families, especially those banished to dormitory towns during the last housing bubble, that figure is doubled as they are obliged to run two cars. For some older, pension-dependent people, running a car consumes a disproportionate percentage of income. Those living in rural Ireland, where public transport can be as scarce as a swallow at this time of the year, a car is an essential but heavy tax on living.