Walking is the natural progression in the evolution of transport

SIR,

There have been so many new inventions and developments that it is easy to wonder where they are heading.

Originally people walked everywhere – a bit like hard work. Then they rode horses – more convenient but a bit smelly. The next item was the car in its many forms – convenient and not really that smelly.

Cars worked well for over a century, slowly improving, getting more efficient, less energy consuming and ‘nicer’. Then someone must have drunk too much and went silly – let’s have a car without a driver.

There are now cars that do not need drivers and they work well and run over less people than cars with drivers. People can work on the way to work and on the way home from work. The passengers are reasonably safe.

The next stage will be the passengerless, driverless car so that these workers will be even safer. The number of driver and passenger deaths and injuries is sure to drop.

The last stage in the evolution of the transport system will be the carless car or, as it was originally called, ‘walking’. The air will be fresher, people will be fitter and happier. The horses may start to panic though, Sincerely,

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia