>> Cian O' Connor says that it is impossible to commute
>> to London by car.
>
>Don't put words in my mouth. I said it was difficult,
>and would be EXTREMELY SO, if everyone travelled to
>CENTRAL London by car. Greater London is something
>else entirely, and not at all served well by the
>train/underground networks. Which is why I kept
>emphasising CENTRAL London.
But what Cian originally said was
'Well for a start commuters to London [want trains], seeing that commuting by car is not a realistic alternative.'
Plainly commuting to London by car is a realistic alternative, since 65 per cent of those working in Greater London and 28 per cent of those working in central London travel to work by car.
But then if you meant 'central London' then of course, you are right that more people travel to work by train than car (nearly twice as many in fact).
>Where would they put all these extra car drivers, if
>the train services no longer existed?
Yes, indeed. That's why there should be a public service rail network.
>
>The questions that I'd want answered are, what are the
>figures for those who can travel in by train, which is
>rather more significant. Discovering that those who
>can't travel by train, choose not to, is
>unilluminating.
I don't really understand your question here.
>
>Also where most of those car drivers are going would
>be interesting.
Commuting makes up only 15 per cent of all journeys, including rail, car and the rest. Car use is growing as more women get cars. Many people have noted the increase in the 'school run' - parents dropping off their children. Shopping trips also increase with trends in weekend shopping, as opposed to shopping throughout the week. Also, Britons spend more of their leisure time going away for the weekend and so on.
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