INFLATION is a global problem. As the cost of living continues to rise, it is time to think of creative ways to reduce costs to governments, which could then shift spending to ways that help people survive, and to individuals and families.
For far too long, we have taken for granted that the automobile is essential to our lives and that car-friendly infrastructure, no matter how costly, is essential. When governments spend millions of dollars on, say, the construction of an elevated expressway and in the same breath explain that they are unable to subsidise basic products or provide better health care or education, we accept their explanation.
We even accept the idea that governments can afford to build roads for cars but lack the resources to provide proper infrastructure for cycling. A recent report by Cycling Cities and ITDP, Making the Economic Case for Cycling, helps illustrate the size of this nonsense; the figures in this article are from that report. While it costs nearly $1.5 billion per 1,000 passenger kilometres to build and maintain infrastructure for cars, that cost is a mere $10.4 million per 1,000 passenger kilometres for bicycle infrastructure.
Car-based transport systems not only require enormous government spending but also require that people buy cars or motorbikes. In most of the world, a new car costs more than average annual household income. Bicycles and electric bicycles cost less than 6 per cent; walking is essentially free.
Other costs extend across society, including to those who do not use private motorised vehicles, in terms of increased congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as well as increased injuries and deaths from road accidents. The global cost of air pollution in terms of premature mortality, disability from chronic diseases, preterm births and sick leave is roughly $2.9 trillion, or 3.3 per cent of global gross domestic product. A dramatic increase in cycling worldwide could save society an estimated $24 trillion cumulatively between 2015 and 2050.
Cities prosper when the focus shifts away from individual motorized transport. When more people walk, cycle and use public transit, individuals, communities and governments prosper in various ways. Individuals do not have to buy, maintain and operate a car. While it costs about $3.00 per 100 kilometres travelled to use a bicycle (in terms of buying the bicycle, operating and maintaining it), those costs for a private car are six times higher, at roughly $18.00 per 100 kilometres. Again, walking is essentially free.
With fewer or no cars, the indirect costs to society (wasted land, pollution, road accidents) are reduced. Businesses prosper when more people can reach them (cars take up way more space than bicycles and pedestrians). More physical activity means a healthier population and further savings occur from fewer road deaths and from less time and fuel wasted in congestion;
One example from neighboring India: in Patna, a 15 per cent increase in trips made by bicycle would reduce premature mortality by an estimated 755 lives a year and save the city $166 million. Air pollution costs Indian businesses at least $95 billion. Those costs could be dramatically reduced with fewer car trips and more trips by bicycle.
In addition, reducing or eliminating cars creates many jobs for small, local, independent businesses in terms of manufacturing and repairing bicycles; the delivery of local goods by rickshaws and rickshaw vans instead of trucks; and by the greater presence of local vendors and small shops rather than big box stores that benefit billionaires while decimating the local economy.
Reducing road accdient deaths and injuries by half over 24 years would increase gross domestic product by as much as 14 per cent in India, according to the World Bank; the easiest way to reduce road fatalities is by reducing the use of motorised vehicles.
The above figures give some idea of the costs of catering to the car and the potential savings of investing instead in cycling, walking and public transit. It is also important to remember that all the land used by cars is land not available for other uses, which takes away from the ability of governments to provide affordable housing as well as important amenities such as green spaces in the city.
Cars are unaffordable. Car-free cities are affordable and prosperous cities. As we move towards the celebration of World Carfree Day on September 22, it is time we also moved beyond the expensive, space-hogging, dangerous, and polluting car to a more equitable transport system that brings savings and prosperity to all.
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Debra Efroymson is an active member of the international Carfree Cities Alliance.