Transport

My enthusiasm quickly evaporated, however, when I actually started poring through the classifieds and realised the whole thing was going to cost me a substantial amount of cash.I also became terrified of getting stiffed by some crisp-collared sales-jerk or a bunch of snakes in a floral-print dress disguised as a sweet old lady.Since then, I have resorted to that special trick we all employ when we fail at something - pretending everything worked out for the best.These days, I get to tell all my iron horse-owning friends how they’re all chumps because not owning a car is actually fantastic.It makes me feel like the modern equivalent of the explorers of yore as I walk places and occasionally stop because it’s too hot or I’ve spotted money on the ground.To be honest, I casually tell them, the fact that other people already own cars really puts me off them.When I was 17, I crashed into some sort of charity van because I was distracted by one of those costumed Eagle Boys “pizza deal” sign-waving people. What’s to stop some thin’n'crispy-fiend from ploughing into my vehicle in a similar manner?On a side note, the van wasn’t full of puppies or anything, just food for the homeless. Statistically, if you never drive, you’re less likely to die behind the wheel - unless you get stabbed behind a ferris wheel. That happens occasionally. There’s also a reduced risk of losing a high-stakes race in an abandoned aqueduct.It’s also worth noting that my carbon footprint is tiny. By the time I’m 35, I’ll have an entire Amazon-worth of carbon credits stored up, which will come in handy if I ever need to dump a barrel-load of toxic waste in the woods or drive a Hummer.And look, I really don’t mind catching the train. It doesn’t matter that it’s unjustifiably expensive and endlessly draws money from me like the giant, soul-eating metal leech that is.Public transport gives me something to complain about every day, which the voices in my head tell me is a vital part of sanity retention. You have your “engine troubles” and I’ve got my “56-year-old man playing Celine Dion too loud”. The whole process gives me an extra 30 minutes each day to judge people.In the meantime, can one of you give me a lift home real quick? Thanks heaps. I’ll owe you one.Read Jason Tin’s full story on Punch.

Research by Budget Direct has found 44 per cent of Australian motorists support transit lanes and want more, compared with 27 per cent of Melbourne drivers and 33 per cent of Sydney motorists who believe they are a waste of time. However, an RTA report shows a 17 per cent reduction in the length of transit lanes between 2008-09 and 2010-2011 due to lane conversion and upgrades in Sydney. "This would indicate that transit lanes are not a high priority for the RTA, despite the indicated need identified by survey respondents and Sydney's ongoing crippling traffic congestion," said Budget Direct spokeswoman Richelle Ward. Motorists also show a general ignorance of transit lane rules with 93 per cent of Melbourne motorists and 84 per cent of Sydney drivers not knowing what distance they are allowed to drive in a transit lane before making a turn. Motorists are also confused about who can travel in a transit lane in both cities. "(We are) concerned that drivers' lack of knowledge surrounding transit lanes could result in unnecessary fines and an increase in road incidents," Ward said. Motorists can travel in a transit lane for up to 100m to enter or exit a roadway, make a turn, or avoid an obstruction. Vehicles must have the specified minimum number of people or the driver will cop a $201 fine in Sydney, or $199 in Melbourne. Ward said a large percentage of motorists claimed to never travel illegally in a transit lane, but she questioned that claim due to respondents' poor understanding of the rules. She called for public education on transit lane use to eliminate confusion and reduce the risk of drivers copping heavy fines.   Transit lanes: the basics *T2 lanes - motorbikes, bicycles, public transport and vehicles with two or more people *T3 lanes - motorbikes, bicycles, public transport and vehicles with three or more people                        

Sweden's Environmental Affairs Minister Andreas Carlgren officially closed the "One Tonne Life" project in Hasselby just outside Stockholm. Over a period of six months, the Lindell family have lived climate-smart with their sights firmly set on reducing their emissions from the normal 7.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year to the minimal figure of just one tonne.Following an impressive final sprint, the Lindells finished at 1.5 tonnes. This means the family have succeeded in cutting their emissions by almost 80 percent compared with their start back in January. Over a period of six months, the Lindells have switched from their normal 1970s villa and 10-year-old cars to a brand-new, climate-smart wooden house from A-hus and a battery-powered Volvo C30 Electric.Vattenfall has provided renewable electricity, new energy technology and energy coaching. ICA and Siemens are the project's partners in the areas of food and household appliances.Transport and electricity consumption are the areas where the family made the most progress. Emissions from transport dropped by more than 90 percent, not least thanks to the fact that the family's Volvo C30 Electric was recharged using electricity from hydro-power.The family's house, built by A-hus, produces its own electricity and with supplementary renewable electricity from hydro-power, carbon dioxide emissions from purchased electricity are almost zero. All told, carbon dioxide emissions from the family's home have been more than halved.Food is the third area in which the family made immense progress. By not throwing away food and by choosing wisely, emissions were significantly reduced. By varying the choice of meat and eating more vegetables, anyone can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from food.Towards the end of the trial period, the Lindells ate only vegetarian dishes, and dairy produce was replaced with soya and oats-based alternatives.

AFTER a century or so of copping jibes about its churches, Adelaide has had the last laugh by being voted our most car friendly city. It has leapfrogged Hobart, Darwin and Perth to become Australia's car friendliest city in a survey by Virgin Car Insurance.The result is based on South Australians paying the least amount for petrol and for being toll free. Virgin says it's all headaches in Sydney with its drivers copping the nation's worst road experience for the second year running. Or crawling.Melbourne is getting - marginally - better while Canberra has slipped. South Australia also took podiums in the regional awards, with Gawler, Mount Gambier and Port Augusta placed first, second and third respectively.Virgin says its survey looks at variables including the cost of car insurance, petrol prices, parking fines, theft and tolls. Virgin spokesman Nick Larkworthy says South Australian motorists should count themselves lucky."Compared with the rest of the country, they're getting a good deal when it comes to petrol, insurance, fines and tolls," he says. "The next time you cop a parking fine in Adelaide, spare a thought for Sydney drivers who will pay around 50 per cent more."Sydney may be well regarded as one of the world's most liveable cities, but that's certainly not the case when it comes to owning a car. Skyrocketing costs when it comes to tolls, insurance and parking fines means more pain for Sydney drivers. The cost of running a car in Sydney is undoubtedly starting to stretch the budget and force people off the road."Virgin's research also uncovered:Adelaide is the cheapest place to fill your car up in the country, while the pump price in Canberra will hit you the hardest.The average cost of commercial car parking in Adelaide will set you back $9.80 for two hours, compared to Sydney where it will cost over four times more at $43.30 for the same amount of time.Melbourne is the most car friendly city on the east coast, beating Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney.Sydney tolls and parking fines are by far the most expensive in the country and most regional towns in NSW perform poorly with a state-wide fine of $86 for parking infringements. A parking fine in Gawler will set you back $22, while in Albury, NSW, the same infringement will set you back $86 - almost four times the amount.OVERALL RESULTS Car Friendliest Capital Cities: 1. Adelaide2. Hobart3. Perth4. Darwin5. Melbourne6. Brisbane7. Canberra8. SydneyCar Friendliest Regional Cities 1. Gawler, SA2. Mount Gambier, SA3. Port Augusta, SA4. Geelong, VIC5. Ballarat, VIC6. Bendigo, VIC7. Mildura, VIC8. Cairns, QLD9. Port Lincoln, SA10. Devonport, TAS11. Launceston, TAS12. Mackay, QLD13. Burnie, TAS14. Wodonga, VIC15. Albury, NSW16. Rockingham, WA17. Coffs Harbour, NSW18. Toowoomba, QLD19. Rockhampton, QLD20. Townsville, QLD21. Gosford, NSW22. Newcastle, NSW23. Bunbury, WA24. Alice Springs, NT25. Albany, WA26. Wagga Wagga, NSW27. Fremantle, WA28. Wollongong, NSW29. Geraldton, WA30. Mandurah, WA

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Sunday is designed for sleeping in, waking to a humungous fry-up breakfast, turning on the reticulation for the garden and planning a drive with a lunch stop.Which I did. Except that on that day, some charity closed off the freeway so that 7000-odd bicyclists could pedal down the four-lanes and give money to sick people.One month before there was a similar event that saw almost 10,000 people walk a 10km route around the river.It was full of bicycles, roller blades, prams, wheelchairs and dogs and completely clogged up a perfectly good family day by the water.Earlier on the year there was a walk-to-work day. Give us a break. I live 17km away.All the people who involve themselves in these activities feel sickeningly happy that they've done something to better the world.Sure, it also got them out of the house for a day and in many cases, let's just be happy that the world sees these people for only ONE day.The smug one-day-a-year cyclists command the freeway for about six hours and rejoice in the fact they've saved 120 grams of CO2.They show it's possible to make a lot of motorists unhappy while peeling off five grams of fat while pedalling to a McDonalds store 30km away and giving $25 to save sick kids.At least, all this is the impression I get from whinging motorists.These same whinging motorists are the ones who intensely dislike cyclists on the roads AT ANY TIME.They don't like pedestrians because they can press a button and make them stop at a traffic-lit intersection.So, I am declaring that I will support a drive-to-work day.That's right: Everyone will drive to work. No cycling, no walking, no buses, no scooters, no taxis and no trains. Just jump in your car and bugger the lycra-clad oxygen thieves because the car is king.Because roads are made for cars. Not bicycles. Because car parks are there for cars and should be used as such.Wouldn't you be a happy lot then. It will show solidarity. The car wins over the bicycle. There could even be a charity to donate to.Just imagine that? A city with the population of four million and a car ownership of two million. At, say, $5 a car, you'd make some sick kid happy to the tune of $10 million.So let's declare April 1, 2009 as Drive-to-Work Day. Each car on the road donates $5.And while your in the world's biggest traffic jam since Karl Benz self-propelled himself out of his driveway, just take a few seconds to reflect on a commuting life alongside bicyclists, scooters and pedestrians. 

The same day I read this I also saw that yet another state in America is introducing seat belts on their school buses. Are our buses and bus drivers so good that they are above what all car enthusiasts know to be a fact: seat belts save lives.If you are reading this in either Victoria or Queensland I am giving you yet another opportunity to laugh at us here in NSW. Anyone that has taken an L90 to Avalon will realise why I find this decision so mind-boggling.Try taking the bends at The Spit standing when the bus driver is trying to make up a bit of time between the three sets of speed cameras from the top to the bottom of the run. While this may be fine for me -- I'm quite fit even with the amount of beer I drink -- the flow-on affect is potentially appalling. The 70 to 90 year olds will have even less of a reason to hand their licences in. Why give up driving to be forced to stand on a lurching bus?Then again the bus service is marginally better than the train I am typing this blog on.I am crawling around the Hawkesbury at what seems like 5km/h. The tracks can't take much more. A one 65- minute drive, garage to office car park, turns into anything up to two hours, fifteen minutes on a train.At least though I can get my laptop open on the train. On a bus there isn't even the room without hitting the person in front in the back of the head. Not that it will matter for much longer, we'll all be standing.Can our transport system be any more ludicrous? Can our state government find anyone more stupid than the last four transport ministers we have had?Thank you to the people of Ryde for waking up and showing NSW Labour what we really think of their performance.Bring on the election and let’s make Roads, Transport and enthusiast’s requirements a focus.Along with Health, Education and everything else they have also stuffed.Then again, Rees is supporting the V8s at Homebush, so he does show a small spark of enlightenment. And he did get rid of Costa and Sartor, two of the most arrogant examples of humanity we have ever been forced to listen to. 

The grey nomad trek into the Outback is just one of the dream drives for people who spend most of their days stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on a suburb-to-city commute.And there are all those “gunnas” with four-wheel drives who are going to hit the bush — one day.But new figures from the Federal Government show we are not the trekkies we believe.Even though new-car warranties are typically set at three years and 100,000km on the average distance covered by Australian buyers — and Mitsubishi went out to five years/130,000km as bait for the doomed 380 — the actual distance we drive is much lower.How much lower? About half, according to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in Canberra.It has just released figures on fuel economy and emissions for the Green Vehicle Guide, computing the average impact of a car on the environment.It is bad news for the planet, but the numbers are surprising as a reflection of average travel.The figure for light vehicles — the class that covers the Hyundai Getz and Toyota Yaris — is only 15,200km a year.