Goodbye Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Hello, Luxury Bus?
It seems that whenever anyone proposes that we should be using bus as our main mode of transport, they are met with a great deal of opposition. Those opposed to the idea argue that there is an almost complete lack of transport infrastructure, and that buses will only make the journey shorter. Those proponents of the idea argue that you cannot cut down a city and expect it to thrive again, but a bus network ensures that if there is an accident anywhere, the bus can always pick you up and take you somewhere else. And, most importantly, you don’t have to worry about your car being stolen, the bus driver is likely to have insurance, if it ever goes missing, you can sue the driver. So, as far as the latter argument goes, that’s a win-win in more ways than one.
As for the first argument, that there is no transport infrastructure, it is true that we do not have the same sorts of transport methods as our ancestors did. We now rely on our car, train and aeroplane. Sure, you can walk, but it’s not quite the same as walking in the 19th century. And, as far as the second argument goes, bus is better than walking, it doesn’t require you to get sweaty and covered in dirt to walk the way that your car does.
The reason why we do not just use walkways and roads is because that is how it is done in the 19th century. You will have to walk through a city to find bus stops, or more often, you will not even have a bus stop. You will just have a street with cars and buses, and when you get to your destination, you have to walk the streets to find an exit to get your bus. So you will have to get sweaty and covered in dirt, but it will be for a bus ride between two stations.
The reason why we do not just use airplanes and trains is because those modes of transport are so much better, too, and there are far more of them. And, as we all know, planes can’t run on batteries, so the buses can’t run on diesel, or the trains on electricity. It is just not an option.
So the choice