The Dutch also have one of the highest rates of car ownership in the world. I’m not sure if they love SUVs as much as NZers. The point being we need to use the right mode in the right situation. The Dutch have transitioned away from using cars in Cities and so should we. Hopefully we can also have better “mobility as a service” options so people can affordable to rent the type of vehicle they need for a particular situation. If it sounds fanciful to car owning Kiwis our daughter, like many others flew a few hours west to live and they happily do just that.
I am so grateful for the transport alternatives Otautahi's councils have given us. My daily one way commute of 45km includes the car, bus and bike and its way more productive than car only. I can work on the bus and I love ride. It takes about the same amount of time as using the car and it's daily cost is about 25%. Then there is the bonus of being able to finish the day with a 35km ride back to the car, 80% of which is on separated cycle paths. I love it.
I just had a lovely peaceful bike ride from Avondale into Britomart and back again via the Silo park ,Herne bay and PT Chev ..Bike lanes most of the way .. fantastic .(and I acknowledge I am privileged .) Thanks to the city planners who are doing better things .. It's getting there ..👍
Thought that Wanganui for a minute. Got a photo outside a cafe on Victoria St with red umbrellas on a sunny day, reminiscent of this ;-) I am not envious of Amsterdam - I'd rather have parochial, provincial NZ any time. Even if we're slow with the EV transition - die-hard petrol-heads are not going to win this one.
🤔 In defense of SUV's in Aotearoa - those who go hunting, tramping, etc in the back country (or even to some farms) need higher clearance vehicles for access roads/tracks & 4wd for safety (eg crossing fords & navigating slippery surfaces) which most around-town-cars don't have. 🤷 Therefore a dilemma - do we have to pay for TWO vehicles to purchase, register, insure, garage, service, get WOF etc to avoid the anti-SUV rage machine ⁉️ Surely one well maintained multi-purpose vehicle is better for the planet & exponentially better for the bank balance of low>fixed income people who go hunting for food/tramping for health, visting farming friends/whanau etc ⁉️
With the focus on Otautahi/Christchurch, I use the bus where available, walk where practical time-wise, and thank heavens for my SUV when buying medium/large items for my house or garden, plus everytime I go backcountry I can safely navigate most road conditions. I did dabble with biking as that was what I did until late teens, but at that stage cycle lanes were bitsy & the in between bits were frightening & unsafe IMHO.
Oh - and did I mention a SUV can temporarily (or permanently) be converted to a small campervan, thereby saving adding a THIRD vehicle to a household fleet ⁉️
I do take the SUV across town for places with time-consuming bus access (more than 2hrs & several changes!) or family emergencies - or should we add taxi fares to the already paid for SUV outlay ⁉️ As with everything, this subject is nuanced & not as black&white as it is often portrayed 🤷 Just sayin'...
The Dutch also have one of the highest rates of car ownership in the world. I’m not sure if they love SUVs as much as NZers. The point being we need to use the right mode in the right situation. The Dutch have transitioned away from using cars in Cities and so should we. Hopefully we can also have better “mobility as a service” options so people can affordable to rent the type of vehicle they need for a particular situation. If it sounds fanciful to car owning Kiwis our daughter, like many others flew a few hours west to live and they happily do just that.
I am so grateful for the transport alternatives Otautahi's councils have given us. My daily one way commute of 45km includes the car, bus and bike and its way more productive than car only. I can work on the bus and I love ride. It takes about the same amount of time as using the car and it's daily cost is about 25%. Then there is the bonus of being able to finish the day with a 35km ride back to the car, 80% of which is on separated cycle paths. I love it.
I just had a lovely peaceful bike ride from Avondale into Britomart and back again via the Silo park ,Herne bay and PT Chev ..Bike lanes most of the way .. fantastic .(and I acknowledge I am privileged .) Thanks to the city planners who are doing better things .. It's getting there ..👍
Thought that Wanganui for a minute. Got a photo outside a cafe on Victoria St with red umbrellas on a sunny day, reminiscent of this ;-) I am not envious of Amsterdam - I'd rather have parochial, provincial NZ any time. Even if we're slow with the EV transition - die-hard petrol-heads are not going to win this one.
🤔 In defense of SUV's in Aotearoa - those who go hunting, tramping, etc in the back country (or even to some farms) need higher clearance vehicles for access roads/tracks & 4wd for safety (eg crossing fords & navigating slippery surfaces) which most around-town-cars don't have. 🤷 Therefore a dilemma - do we have to pay for TWO vehicles to purchase, register, insure, garage, service, get WOF etc to avoid the anti-SUV rage machine ⁉️ Surely one well maintained multi-purpose vehicle is better for the planet & exponentially better for the bank balance of low>fixed income people who go hunting for food/tramping for health, visting farming friends/whanau etc ⁉️
With the focus on Otautahi/Christchurch, I use the bus where available, walk where practical time-wise, and thank heavens for my SUV when buying medium/large items for my house or garden, plus everytime I go backcountry I can safely navigate most road conditions. I did dabble with biking as that was what I did until late teens, but at that stage cycle lanes were bitsy & the in between bits were frightening & unsafe IMHO.
Oh - and did I mention a SUV can temporarily (or permanently) be converted to a small campervan, thereby saving adding a THIRD vehicle to a household fleet ⁉️
I do take the SUV across town for places with time-consuming bus access (more than 2hrs & several changes!) or family emergencies - or should we add taxi fares to the already paid for SUV outlay ⁉️ As with everything, this subject is nuanced & not as black&white as it is often portrayed 🤷 Just sayin'...