I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about how we get around; the cheapest, the most cost efficient and the safest and I’m finding it difficult to find a winner!

The Car

The car for many is the obvious choice, it keeps you warm and you are your own master on route and how you use it etc.
During the last Cricket season I would take five or ten minutes break from the hussle bussle of the Dressing Rooms and wander around the Car Park and it gave me some faith to see all the varying Road Tax costs on the Cars. The larger you brought, the more you’d pay and for the smaller, greener cars, you’d pay less.

This is all very well and I know that in most circumstances, those with larger cars are usually those with a bit more money to spare, so be it, I don’t have a problem with that, but now we are facing yet another bout of Petrol increases which by April will reach proportions of enormity to our pockets.

Now, the Greens apparently are pleased with this, it should, so their theory goes, take people out the cars and put them on Public Transport or Bicycles. So………

The Train alternative

It’s good to see Trains quite full of people again, custom seems to be on the increase, so the success of this is seen in not so heavy fare increases – wrong! Train fares in this area have gone up way over the rate of inflation, so the money we save by not using the car is swallowed up by heavy fares!

The Buses

These for me are a fine alternative; they’re a good way to travel and if more people used them, they would certainly reduce the number of cars on the road.

BUT, we get the cuts and some services and routes stopped altogether! For instance, the last bus from Town to the end of my Lane, which is just off a main road linking Ashford and Canterbury, leaves town before 6pm!
Sure there is another service which stops about a mile away, but I’m relatively fit, not everyone is.

The Bicycle

By far the best and greenest route to take, you are your own boss, you don’t need to look up timetables and can go at your own pace.

BUT (again!), the cut backs affecting most areas seems to affect small things which are anti-cyclist, like potholes in the road.
Anyone who cycles know how impatient car drivers are, they will squeeze past you often forcing you on to the pavement and certainly very often into the kerb where the drain covers are usually 8″ below the level of the road.

Many areas have done very well with cycle paths, but this appears to be something which will be put on the shelf whilst we resolve the situation our High Street Banks have put us in.
Until then we must cycle on a prayer.

All in all, I think the best form of personal transport is no transport at all. It’s best to stay in your house and buy everything on the Internet and speak to friends and family on skype!

I have to say I own a car and don’t see myself being without one if I can help it and to be fair, because I worked for the Railway I get free travel for 32 days a year and greatly reduced fares should I wish to pay, plus I’m over 60 and have a Bus Pass. It pays for me being over 60!

Surely there’s someone sitting in the great House on the side of the River Thames who’s big and bold enough to say ‘enough is enough’, let the people play and not pay!

I guess the best way is to walk!