2 ms·

This is sad news, city have to get rid of cars, and make public transport free if needed

clivedup 13d ago
Cheaper EVs is a good thing. Australia is more than cities. Cities can make public transport free and congestion charges if they want to reduce usage of cars.
- nujabe 13d ago
  I don’t think congestion charges would cover building/maintaining public transport.
  - TomK32 13d ago
    All infrastructure for cars and the fallout from their pollution (don't forget the tyres) is heavily subsidized by the tax payer and not as cost effective as a tram or railway.
- TomK32 13d ago
  Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world with 87% of its population living in cities and suburbs. Being car dependent is a political choice pushed by the car industry for decades. Getting people into public transports, onto bicycles or their two feet requires reducing the vast space cities waste on privately owned cars. Super blocks that focus on active travel, less surface parking space and slower speeds are what is needed.
  - clivedup 13d ago
    I cycle in Sydney, and wish more others did. I have no car. But there's a few things that make this trickier in Sydney, than, say, much of European cities: * Sydney is too hot/UV to comfortably cycle between 9AM-5PM for at least 4 months of the year. Maybe tree-lined corridors could help that. * Sydney is very hilly. It didn't have centuries of being flattened. This makes it challenging, even for experienced commuters. Ebikes could help. * Sydney has low density: houses are big, detached, and thus spread apart. This makes relevant cycling distances further. EVs are much more aligned with Sydney, at least for tackling the polluting issues with cars.
jscyc 13d ago
I agree with you but the Opal fares in Sydney are more expensive than it would cost me in tolls driving across the bridge and paying for parking at work. I still don't often drive but it's not because PT is more economical.
- pestatije 13d ago
  exactly this...Opal pricing, what are they thinking? I can pay petrol twice and still be ahead
Incipient 13d ago
Yeah we have too much urban sprawl, and too few people, to justify widespread public transport to eliminate the need for a household car (in Australia).
yen223 13d ago
we can electrify our cars and build public transport simultaneously!

Cheaper EVs is a good thing. Australia is more than cities. Cities can make public transport free and congestion charges if they want to reduce usage of cars.

nujabe 13d ago
I don’t think congestion charges would cover building/maintaining public transport.
- TomK32 13d ago
  All infrastructure for cars and the fallout from their pollution (don't forget the tyres) is heavily subsidized by the tax payer and not as cost effective as a tram or railway.
TomK32 13d ago
Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world with 87% of its population living in cities and suburbs. Being car dependent is a political choice pushed by the car industry for decades. Getting people into public transports, onto bicycles or their two feet requires reducing the vast space cities waste on privately owned cars. Super blocks that focus on active travel, less surface parking space and slower speeds are what is needed.
- clivedup 13d ago
  I cycle in Sydney, and wish more others did. I have no car. But there's a few things that make this trickier in Sydney, than, say, much of European cities: * Sydney is too hot/UV to comfortably cycle between 9AM-5PM for at least 4 months of the year. Maybe tree-lined corridors could help that. * Sydney is very hilly. It didn't have centuries of being flattened. This makes it challenging, even for experienced commuters. Ebikes could help. * Sydney has low density: houses are big, detached, and thus spread apart. This makes relevant cycling distances further. EVs are much more aligned with Sydney, at least for tackling the polluting issues with cars.

jscyc 13d ago

I agree with you but the Opal fares in Sydney are more expensive than it would cost me in tolls driving across the bridge and paying for parking at work. I still don't often drive but it's not because PT is more economical.

pestatije 13d ago
exactly this...Opal pricing, what are they thinking? I can pay petrol twice and still be ahead

Incipient 13d ago

Yeah we have too much urban sprawl, and too few people, to justify widespread public transport to eliminate the need for a household car (in Australia).

yen223 13d ago

we can electrify our cars and build public transport simultaneously!