Letter: Transport choices matter, not costs

Sir: All motorists impose costs on society: through accidents, noise, pollution and so on. These costs can only be reduced by improving the alternatives to cars (investing in public transport and facilities for walking and cycling) while raising motoring taxes, cutting car parking in town centres, and possibly road pricing. Road lobby quibbles about the magnitude of the external costs (Letters, 26 July and 2 August) miss the point; the real issue is that we need to change transport policies so people have genuine transport choices, the air is fit to breathe, and our roads are not completely jammed with cars and lorries.

Yours faithfully,

LYNN SLOMAN

Assistant Director

Transport 2000

ALASTAIR HANTON

Chair, Environmental Transport Association

London, NW1