Chapter 5: General conclusions

Public transport and private cars

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In the long run the most potent factor in maintaining a ‘ceiling’ on private car traffic in busy areas is likely to be the provision of good, cheap public transport, coupled with the public's understanding of the position. This last is essential, and is indeed one of the reasons why we have endeavoured to write this Report in non-technical language for the general reader. But the attractions of private cars are very great, and there can be no denying the difficulties of providing public transport services so intrinsically convenient that they will attract optional car traffic off the roads in appreciable quantities. But, given a different financial policy, travel by public transport could be made relatively cheap, and this may prove to be the key to the problem in the long term.