Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether National Car Free Day illustrates the importance which the public attach to the unrestricted use of their cars.
§ Baroness HaymanThe National Car Free Day initiative organised by the Environmental Transport Association resulted in reduced car use by some organisations and people, although day-to-day variations in traffic levels make it difficult to determine its effect in detail, and it is clear that many people continued to use their car on 17 June. But such events are largely intended to raise people's awareness of the wider environmental and economic consequences of over-reliance on the car, and not simply to reduce car use on a particular day. The Government consider that initiatives to raise travel awareness have an important role to play. The effectiveness of such measures in changing attitudes and influencing individual transport decisions will be addressed in the Government's fundamental review of transport and its development of an integrated transport policy.