Less people can afford to drive is a long term catalyst for making sustainable cities. A surprise, but a welcome one!
(Yes, buses and subways use gas, but not as much as 12 individual cars going to the same location)
From the perspective of North America: The infrastructure isn’t actually improving from full car centric design, and people need to get to places just the same. If this was a catalyst to build more public transit, bike lines, walkable developments, etc, hell even if it promoted more working from home, it would undeniably be good. But none of those are happening and people are still faced with the delima of drive a car or not be able to function in society, so as it stands now, it’s nothing but a burden on the poor and vulnerable people in cities.
Getting rid of cars or raising the barrier to drive them isn’t a solution, unless you also get rid of the need for cars.
One day some admin will get fed up and tag me “SE Asia Shill” but leave the West. I was always a happy guy but I’ve never lived better months since moving to Asia.
Back to the car discussion though, you are correct, but I enjoy seeing people grow bitter as they’re screwed on gas prices. It helps them realize the problem was cars to begin with :)
You do realize that moving to asia isn’t actually a solution for most people living in the west, right?
The problem with cars is that we need them. When gas prices rise, then food prices also increase due to the elevated costs of transportation. Even if you don’t own a car, it will affect you.
As someone els mentioned, ideally you want high gas prices to incentive people to ride a bike and the cities to build more bike lanes.
Speaking from the perspective of a country with no trains nor EV infrastructure
Given that the people who are most directly affected by higher gas prices are working class people who already couldn’t afford to drive more than they need to to survive where they live… no.
I don’t enjoy it, but I hope this becomes a wake up call to build more bicycle friendly cities.
there are too many cars yes, but because how shit the public transportation is in most places, and that neolibs centralized all the wealth to big cities, the working class does not have a choice. not to mention that in this glorious time of wealth and prosperity you now need two adults on full time to provide a living of any kind to a family. that means two cars.
remote work can remedy this and all power to people who like that but i refuse to bring my work home, in any way.
the masters created the conditions and the slaves have to get the bread somehow. go figure. so dont blame us. the changes must come from the top. the leadership must take the charge and responsibility. this is how things work in most organizations. but of course, crapitalism must be the reverse, even if the bottom has 0 power. somehow every single fucking problem is our responsibility, never the bourgeois.
