Take a walk – save the planet

FURTHER to the reports of finding a solution to air pollution, how about limiting the amount of cars owned per household?

For it seems to be that there is a culture of needing a car for every activity. A good example is “I need my car to take the children to school”, and ironically it is little children being pushed in prams and pushchairs by their parents, who are more at risk from the vehicle fumes, because the level of the exhaust on most vehicles is approximately the same height as a little child in a pushchair.

Why doesn’t the Government take action to limit vehicle usage? Could it be that there is too much revenue to be gained, in the form of road tax, petrol duty, maintenance duty etc.? I know that people have knocked smoking cigarettes as the greatest risk to lung disease, but I would say that vehicle fumes are a greater risk. I am a non-smoker by the way.

The point I am trying to make is this: what happened to walking? And if a journey to the shops is required, then adequate public transport service ought to be available.

I am just short of my 70th birthday, and walking back and fore to Ton Pentre Junior Boys school four times every school day (approximately two miles) did me no harm. Another advantage of walking and not driving is healthier, slimmer, happier people. So take a walk! Lyndon Morgan Gelli Rhondda Cynon Taf