Transport
Cars have an impact on every aspect of New Zealander’s life and business. They directly affect our quality of life by allowing us access to friends and family, education, employment, and recreation. It’s hard to imagine how we would cope without them, but things have to change, we need to make adaptions to fuel use for the environment’s sake.
New Zealanders have one of the highest vehicle ownership rates in the world, and most of our travel is by car. Fifty-five percent of all road travel is now by car drivers, with 35 percent by car passengers. We only average 1.3 people per car. There are comparatively few trips made by public transport, walking or cycling.
Because of the way our transport system has been developed, it can be very difficult for people without access to a car to get around. Our high dependence on cars has some significant environmental impacts. Cars use energy less efficiently than other modes – walking uses 10 times less energy and cycling uses around 100 times less energy than a car.
Cars burn petrol, a non-renewable resource, that releases greenhouse gases and other chemicals, polluting the air and water. Our choice of transport can also have some significant economic and social costs – such as congestion, increased average living costs, access to services and level of personal fitness. Making choices for sustainable transport helps reduce the impact on the environment, the economy, and society.
We need to use transport modes that use energy more efficiently, such as cycling, walking and public transport. We need to improve car use, such as using more fuel-efficient vehicles, driving more efficiently, avoiding cold starts, and car-pooling. This includes cleaner fuels and better technologies.
It also means letting your fingers do the walking, using internet and telephone services to order what we need. Planning the layout of our cities to bring people and their needs closer together, and to make cities more vibrant and accessible without a car.
Cars have an impact on every aspect of New Zealander’s life and business. They directly affect our quality of life by allowing us access to friends and family, education, employment, and recreation. It’s hard to imagine how we would cope without them, but things have to change, we need to make adaptions to fuel use for the environment’s sake.
New Zealanders have one of the highest vehicle ownership rates in the world, and most of our travel is by car. Fifty-five percent of all road travel is now by car drivers, with 35 percent by car passengers. We only average 1.3 people per car. There are comparatively few trips made by public transport, walking or cycling.
Because of the way our transport system has been developed, it can be very difficult for people without access to a car to get around. Our high dependence on cars has some significant environmental impacts. Cars use energy less efficiently than other modes – walking uses 10 times less energy and cycling uses around 100 times less energy than a car.
Cars burn petrol, a non-renewable resource, that releases greenhouse gases and other chemicals, polluting the air and water. Our choice of transport can also have some significant economic and social costs – such as congestion, increased average living costs, access to services and level of personal fitness. Making choices for sustainable transport helps reduce the impact on the environment, the economy, and society.
We need to use transport modes that use energy more efficiently, such as cycling, walking and public transport. We need to improve car use, such as using more fuel-efficient vehicles, driving more efficiently, avoiding cold starts, and car-pooling. This includes cleaner fuels and better technologies.
It also means letting your fingers do the walking, using internet and telephone services to order what we need. Planning the layout of our cities to bring people and their needs closer together, and to make cities more vibrant and accessible without a car.