Karen I'm sorry but u used to own a car so u really shouldn't be putting your 2 cents worth in!!! If u didn't then that would be different but u did. So, just because now u don't think anyone should have a car, you are being hypocritical

Many new urban housing estates do not have public transport servicing the areas. Many people have to walk at least 30 minutes before they reach a bus stop/tram stop/train station and now imagine doing this while you have to ferry children to and from school, activities, care facilities and you yourself have to go to work and then you also have to run other errands and do your shopping. Not really a viable situation if you don't have a car and adds too much stress and time to an already full day. You really expect people to leave 2 hours earlier (or more) and struggle with their children and perhaps have to pay out MORE in childcare and make their lives more stressful and, in turn, because more people will be using public transport, it will be even more overcrowded with more disruptions etc. Then what happens if there is a disruption (natural, emergency or strike) then how are you going to not only get home but pick up your kids and NOT be even later than usual and NOT get stung extra fees for having them in care beyond what is the centres business hours? Then you still have to shop and run your errands. Please do not say "stay at home and raise your kids" when people need the income and forcing them to stay home will put them one step closer to being unable to afford the necessities in life and you would still have to deal with the inconvenience of trying to juggle all other aspects of your life while using the public transport system (and to taxi or uber everywhere you need to go is also a ludicrous option as it is too expensive to do this every day).

My family children only got cars when they paid for it them selves could afford to run it and insurance .Big learning curve .And explain that the car is a weapon it can kill at any time so reasonability is a learning process when on the road .

I agree but alot don't as well

Also it's not even just that too many people own cars, but too many people own cars that are just too damn large. Every second car is some giant truck or SUV nowadays and I'm sure only a fraction of those people would actually need something that size. It's become normalised to have more than you need, in car ownership and in general.

Even speaking as someone who requires a car due to disability - I would just love to be able to just take public transport and think it should be the default over cars! No traffic, better for your health and the planet, just better all up. Our cities are designed around cars and roads, not people and living well

Reduce the number of people then you'll Reduce the number of cars.. makes sense

I visited NZ 10 years ago and traveled on your train, ferry, plane, and bus. I was very impressed with all forms of transportation there. The buses especially were clean, and the drivers and passengers were friendly and helpful. It was safe to ride then and I hope it still is. I agree that teenagers would be better off waiting to have a car. I do not see the need for them in urban areas.

I totally agree with the fact that there are too many cars nowadays. And the independence mentality is driven from the fact that the world is modernizing. Modernized countries have pointed this out through man-made buildings and infrastructure. If it wasn't for the roads and highways, trains and other means of collective transport would only exist, and private vehicles would not exist to feed the independence mentality to the new generation. Generations will get stuck to the idea that there are no such thing as private vehicles and would not bother to acquire vehicles of their own. Government/Councils however should improvise on getting everyone to work and on time like they always do. But we are way past that now. It is time we find a solution. Experiments on using clean fuels and scientific projects on future transportations might be the best solutions towards this problem. Having hovering vehicles with clean energy might save us from wrecking the planet and providing travelling space within cities and amongst pedestrians. Although car overcrowding have been a major issue, I believe that modernized countries are on the right developing path into solving these issues

Me and husband used one car

In the country there is no public transport except your own two feet, it is so uncivilized where I live there is not even one taxi so that is why one has to own a car.

It's hard when you have to be at work before the buses would leave near where you live on Day shift, and afternoon shift they finish too late..A lot of jobs you now have to have a Drivers' License when you leave school at age 18. If parents buy their child a car they should have an arrangement that the child pays them for at least a good % of it and perhaps a small sum of it could be Birthday and Christmas presents,

I live where little mass transit exits so owning a car especially in bad weather is necessary as walking or biking for the awful cold or wet weather is impratical. The ability ti have groceries and amazon deliveries has helped some but social visits and medical still are easier with transportation.

yer depends where u live, and depends where u work.....if u have independant transport....it does not limit your work prospects. Some times car pooling is not viable...families all often start at diff times of the day...or do shift work....not possible with just one car...

It really depends on where you live. I live in a country area where public transport isn't the best, now IF I were a 17yo with a job to get to I'd need a car

Still got my car not sure for how long

I feel like it’s a right of passage and a step of independence for a lot of people buying their first car is exciting and their first real step as an adult. I do agree that excess ownership of cars is an issue but to that you can only drive one car at a time it’s not the amount of cars we’re driving. It’s the type of cars were driving. And then at the end of the day. Governments have to give incentives to people to use public transport or carpool lanes as it is less convenient to rely on someone else to take you from a to B but if there’s an incentive or a cashback it might make people more inclined to use it.

I think it's generation thing. Each member of my family have their own cars.My granddaughter and her hubby has one. We are in our 70's we have one and my grandson has a truck.They each live in their own homes.The thing today is you can only afford one car.People who have a lot of money has more cars.Personally it doesn't bother me how many cars a person has. Each his own.

Think it's a generation thing ..... bit hard asking mum and dad to drive on your date .... and you know kids have to have it all after mum and dad did the Hard Yard to Success

When we first built our house there were no buses or trains so all 5 of us had a car. We all had different working hours and all worked in different places. My husband and daughter went to the closest station together because they worked 3 stations apart, but the rest of us went our separate ways. My husband and I are retired but still have our own cars. He likes an SUV while I much prefer my coupe and until we find a car we both agree on we'll keep our own cars.

Agree!!

I live in inner Sydney, Australia, where the public transport is excellent, but parking is difficult to find or expensive when you do, so I don't own a car. Some of my family members live regionally, & have poor public transport, so they need cars. There are many rural regions of Australia in need of access to pubic transport.

I love having my car I am retired and no public transport to my Doctors etc can't afford taxi's sorry

As oldie seniors we are very happy to still have Our licenses as we are able to get to doctors chemists etc

I love having my car so I can-do long-distance drives to Sydney or Adelaide as well as transporting friends around for days out and car pooling.

In my opinion, if you are able to drive & can afford it, you should own a car. I have one but I don't stay on the roads going here & yonder. I am a homebody but still like having a car in case of emergencies or if I need to go to store or whatever & my husband is not home(he isn't home, his truck isn't home). I love having my car in case I need it.

Some of us truly need our cars. I teach music and need to transport instruments, music and other supplies daily and work at a different school site each day. If I had to use public transportation, I would have to get up two hours earlier each day and as it is, I already only get 3 or 4 hours of sleep per night; in short, I wouldn't be able to work anymore if I didn't have a car!

If they raised the driving age to 18 instead of 16, there would be less cars on the roads. In my opinion, 16 is waaaaay too young to drive. Some older people are way too old to drive also, though. Driver's Education should be brought back into the schools, and anyone entering the U.S. to become a citizen should also take a written and driving test before being issued a driver's license. Do they teach Driver's Ed in Australia? I live in the U.S.

If public transport serviced all the areas people lived, then multiple car households would be a choice rather than a necessity.

Can you prove "my independence mentality is wreck the planet"? NO didnt think so.

I actually like to travel on public transport as a senior it is so cheap, however you do need time as it does take longer, we went down to one car several years ago my second car was a cycle, I did go by train which only cost $10 return the trip by car is 2 1/2 hours, it took be all day , I enjoyed it had the luxury that time to spend my day reading & enjoying the trip. Our children had cars when they went away to college two had mopeds for a little while it became too dangerous so we gave them cars which helped them get work while they were studying, we may have given them a new car which they had to pay for all expenses including petrol, insurance & registration.

No trust in public transport

It's driven for a desire for freedom and independence. When I was young it was my means of going where I want when I want. That's why hitch-hiking was so popular until so many people ran into trouble. As an older person, I don't believe complaining about the planet is a valid argument. Most never saw any problem when they were young. They have the same desires we had. What right do we have to dictate how they should live their lives.Edited 17-Apr-25 15:11pm

Considering the price of gas, insurance, and the aggressive nature of more and more drivers, car pooling just seems the way to go!

So true and with the cost of fuel you’d think people would look at alternatives.

When we fiirst arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, almost everyone used Public Transport, Buses, Trains and, at the time, an extensive Tram Service, all beautifully integrated, serving all the suburbs on the Adelaide Plains and Train Services to and from the outer areas. Then along came a State Premier who wanted us all to Buy Cars to support the General Motors owned Holden and a couple of other Car makers. So what did this clown do? With the exception of a Single Tram Service to the beachside suburb of Glenelg, he ripped up the entire Tramways System, almost all Suburban Railways and almost destroyed the Public Bus System. Now, of course, these stupid politicians of ours have realised that this was a massive and Unforgiveable Mistake so they are very, very slowly re-instating the Tramways and, as is their wont, they are chattering about extending the Railways. Why? To get cars off the roads as part of the campaign to remove all those Emissions which we are told are destroying Planet Earth.Edited 17-Apr-25 14:44pm

Public transport is not accessible enough for me to be able to give up the car, nor does it connect well enough to other services such as trams buses etc, its often also not close enough to where I'm going for walking to be a viable option. If I didnt have the car I'd be spending more on ubers and taxis than I would on car ownership

One problem is the country is spread out and the places we need to be is spread out. There is a lot of places that are not populated. And are families are stretched far and wide. And so are our jobs are in remote areas.

As a senior who lives near a train hub I'm so glad I don't need a car any longer. My partner still drives and we do own a car but I recently gave my car to a niece - let the young have a go - the traffic is to furious for me!

In Queensland the fares for public transport is so low that it encourages people to use it instead of cars. This should be Australia wide and buses should be going around to make public transport so attractive that people will use this as an alternative to cars. If the government gave a tax deduction for people with 1 car per household, this may encourage more people to use public transportation more .

When you dont have public transport you need a car its the only way to get around

If you live in a big city with public transportation, I don't think everyone needs a car. If you live in a suburb or rural area, a car is necessary. There are too many cars on the road

I agree that young people without a job or an apprenticeship do not really need a car, they can use public transport. They often behave badly when they do, like drink drive, drive too fast to show off to their mates and have accidents due to poor judgement. Wait until you are 25 and they will appreciate a car, be able to afford insurance and be able to pay have it serviced regularly. And make more intelligent decisions about car usage, hopefully. Congestion is cities is also becoming a big issue every where, I live in Sydney and am and pm and weekend peak hour traffic means lots of wasted time and money on petrol.

Especially as EV's are wrecking the actual planet.

I live in suburbia but public transport is sparse to say the least. Nearest shop a couple of ks from house, doc same. Am older and have a lot of medical appointments so a car is neccesary. Uber or taxis for those trips probably more than car costs. Not the best scenario but it is what it is. Edited 17-Apr-25 12:04pm

Because of the high cost of living I haven't had a car (UTE) for 2 years. I have fought to keep my home for years so I refuse to give it up. Unfortunately, with a big garden I can no longer do my favourite activity - a tip run lol Now its a game to see how small I can cut the garden rubbish and how much I can fit into the green bin lol Always a few black bags full waiting for the next pickup in two weeks LOL

I grew up around farm, commercial and personal vehicles, and I was driving a tractor at age 8 or 9. At 16, I was driving our commercial trucks and tractor-trailers. I had a pickup truck to use at age 16 and my own car at 17 or 18. I really miss having a car. I love driving. Now I cannot afford one. I use public transportation or the service provided by my retirement home.

Needed in WA.

Currenttly my car is inoperable Michael

i have a car where i live in australia if you don,t have a car the public transports is useless for me to get to were i need to go

I love my car

I love having a car. It makes me independent. Cars are not wrecking the planet. People are wrecking the planet and as we are a result of 4 billion years of evolution then maybe that is our purpose!!! Crazy, I know, but here we are...

I want to go where I want, when I want that is why I have a car and a drivers licence. Buses don't necessarily go to all areas within a municipality or council area. Time is another factor if there are buses or transport available. We do however try to combine as many things into the one direction on the day we go, we also only do a trip to the main plaza (30 min drive away) once a month and make it a day out.

TY Mopos, !!!

No Ido not think it's a problem because kids need to safe especially girls and now boys

Where I live, it rains, a lot, so I wouldn't be comfortable walking in the wind and the rain. I love owning my 2000 Chrysler Concorde, and only drive a few miles a week, so not too expensive or poluting. If I get where I can't drive, we have a free bus service on the island! I'll just take the bus, but right now I love driving myself at 77. My aunt is 91 and still drives! ;-D

You should own what you can afford and need

Our car is attached to our yard like a teenager to a bed, We walk everywhere, schools/shops/doctors, , in fact, most things are within a 10 to 15 minute walk. We don't need a car. we have one for the just in cases

Just because you choose not to have a car or multiple ones why should you dictate to everyone else? What happened to freedom?

Depends where you live. Many places in Australia don't have public transport. The big ciites and towns do but if you want to go anywhere outside of the towns and cities you need a car. Mum and dad can only be a taxi service for so long.

I'm ok with having a car but is a four wheel drive car necessary in the city?

It’s just so much more convenient to have your own car

there's something like over 2 billion cars in the world. It's just part of money. you know if there was less cars money would probably find a way to collapse. I suppose we don't need that many. I haven't been driving for nearly 25 years. When car's wheren't possible people where still living, so no one can really say they can't live with out it. Will it be self driving cars, or will it be Neo driven cars, which one will people prefer? I suppose a self driving car might end up cheaper than a Neo driven car when Neo costs as much as a car it self. Still Neo can be used for a lot more than driving. It can do the dishes.

We own 2 cars - Van 2017 and a Volvo Station Wagon 1998 - Hubby uses the Station Wagon as a work car for his Lawn Care job. Runs great too old to get anything for it. So we keep it running. Van we use for everything else. We are both seniors.

We need our car as we live in a rural area. Also I love having my own independence.

HI, TY Warren D 434429

Hang on - I love my Roller and my Merc.

everyone should ride motorbikes - less costs, less congestion, easier to park. They would be better car drivers at the end of their time on a bike too, through more awareness of other road users

It needs better way of driving because people don't know how to drive anymore

It gets everyone the independence to go where they want, and when they want so get over it.

Private property has always been under attack by the communists who believe the government should own everything, including cars, houses, careers, etc.

I need a car because I have a daughter that cant drive for medical reasons and her daughter goes to day care 2 times a week it is to far to walk and there is not public transport close by. My car is small and and 20 years old. I don't understand why most people have to have large 4 wheel drives that are expensive and you can't see over them when driving and a lot of the time when you park somewhere when you return to your car you are hemmed in. So if they restricted the size of cars it would be better for all around

A car is necessary to get to and from work/studies and for leisure and personal errands. Public transport is not a feasible option for many for various reasons and many employers state that the person must have a license and a reliable form of transportation to get to and from work. Why would you want to go shopping and take everything home via taxi or public transport? Some areas don't even have public transport or it is so sporadic that living in that area is virtually impossible without a car. In my personal experience using both public transport and driving I noticed that I am less likely to get sick (my exposure to illness is limited to the office and public places), I am less stressed as I don't have to worry about last minute cancellations, overcrowding, delays, weather, darkness, creepy stalkers etc.

TY AGAIN Danielle R 478487

They won't let me carry our sporting equipment on Public Transport, so we have no option but to won a vehicle.

Auckland's public transport is pretty bad at the best of times ... unless you're one of the few who actually wants to go to the city centre. If I want to go from here to a neighbouring suburb, it used to take one bus ride, now it takes at least two, often three busses. The Auckland train system (the train system only covers about 5% of the city and they've only got two trains anyway!) has been shutdown for most of the Easter school holidays to supposedly "get ready" for connecting up to the new underground link (itself a pointless waste of hug piles of money), most summers it get shut down due to heat warping the train tracks - it's not like it's Dubai or India! If you want to do anything involving travelling efficiently, then public transport is definitely not the answer in Auckland and never will be thanks to it's very low population density.Edited 18-Apr-25 10:39am

No gifts of cars to our kids have ever happened in our house they work for what they have

Most employers prefer you to have a license. Not all jobs these days are 9 to 5 and public transport isn't reliable in alot of areas. That being said I don't drive,I can't for medical reasons. Usually don't travel without a companion unless it's on foot. The expense is the killer,registration,insurance,maintenance, petrol. It's not just the envoirnmental impact of the cars,think about planes,boats,shipping,industry,mining. The percentage of people that do drive is probably about the same ,it's the population that's increased.

You left one demographic out the current influx of newcomers, some have more than 2 cars in their household. On that note I would be leaving the long established struggling families who probably go into debt to help theiir offspring secure a "road worthy": vehicle and obtain a ligitimate driving licence so they obey the road rules.

TY JANN R

U need at least 2 per household if u both are working different hours and do different hobbies. For example my dad plays golf on Thursdays if my family only had one car mum wouldn’t be able to anything. If I was in hospital on a Thursday dad would have to stop golf drive probably 2 hours home just to get to me, I could die in those 2 hours or it would take mum maybe 2- 3 by public transport depending where the hospital is if I she had no car for herself. So my view is u need at least 2 between a family

When you live in a country area and have no pulic transport you have to have a car to get around do your shopping go to the doctor extra so we have no joice I could not live without my car

Try public transport instead., and, bring all your groceries and a few cans of paint home on the bus. Try having a non driving child who plays three sports. Oh the trains aren't running. Oh, I'm stuck at a railway station or bus stop and all the frozen stuff has melted. If you no longer have a car, well done, but someone is moving things around for you., including you when you want to see the doctor, dentist, your friends, the library, a movie.

We have one car for two of us.

If you don't want a car then don't bye one.

We have 2 cars, its very difficult to navigate, 3 jobs, 2 different schools, various Church committments, and afterschool activities etc for 4 kids without them.

I have a car and really need it as I have trouble walking for more than 4 minutes at a time. I need it to go shopping as I can't walk up the hill. I used to walk a lot or get the bus but no more. I need it to be able to take my rabbit to the Exotic Vet. that is a fair distance from where I live.

It’s true but when you live out of town it’s the only solution

I do not have a car.

My opinion is MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Tom, Dick and Harriet can own a car as long as they can afford to pay for it, insurance and all repairs

You say you once owned a car. How proud were you when you got your first car. You can really become independent, but still use public transport if need be.

I brought my own car at 19, it's much easier than relying on people, easier to get a job and keep it, easier to go grocery shopping etc. I think most people do it for these reasons because relying on people is bothersome, especially if you need to be at work at 4:30AM (that was my case anyway). Oh and it's safer traveling at night if you travel in your own car (also my case as I worked shift work with some late finnishes). A lot of things are wrecking the planet, not just cars. You are right about excess when unnecessary though. If we all got by with minimal needs then the world would be less polluted. E.g. not using a car when you can walk, not buying the new latest and greatest sneakers or cell phones etc. but rather just get by with your old sneakers that aren't broken and are still functioning (same with the cellphone).Edited 17-Apr-25 05:00am

,,,but, YOU YOURSELF OWNED A CAR?!?!?!?! Typical hypocritical leftist. p.s. it is NOT "wrecking the planet". In fact, toxic CO2 emissions from dairy and meat farming does FAR MORE "harm" emitting MORE toxic emissions than the ENTIRE transporation industry IN THE WORLD...combined. Them emissions coming from a car? Yeah...TREES take care of that for us....you know, like what NATURE is designed to do. Wake up from your programming.

well, my dad brought me many car's and I brought for my son's and still drive,sold 5 car's and happy to have one still..

I see both sides, There are times I want a car but even if I had one I cant drive because of an eye coddition.... I am glad for public transportation. Otherwise leave people that canhave a car alone. You dont pay their bills.

Have to have my car!!!

Well I still driveand I certainly did not purchase one for none of my children. They had to work for it!! But still yes too many cars.

Kinda true! We don't "need" anything much, yet our societies have us running in 4 different directions at the same time, for jobs/careers, tid bits here and there. Cars are no longer just tools, but they represent debt from 17yr old to a lifetime if we are not careful. The added costs (insurance, technology enabled, maintenance, fuel/batterie$, parking fees, anti-theft gadgets, snow tires etc) will prevent so many from owing a home/room, having a loving family, sharing ideas, meeting people or saving smartly for later years. Perhaps leasing/renting a vehicle as per needed, could be better. Yet the vehicle manufacturers, dealers and CEOs also want to keep making more billion$ than last year....

We reside very rural and in the mountains it is 25 miles to town one way and some places a bit more to go for things we need to do in town and we make our trip count every time. We have several cars. We have a 1969 international Scout with a Plow we use on our farm and in winter for snow plowing it does not go more than 15 miles from our home. Sometimes we get paid to plow a neighbor's driveway in winter or someone needs to get pulled out of a ditch. It has a winch as well. My grandson has two cars one for winter and winter roads 4 wheel drive one for spring through early fall. He uses them for working mostly and commuting to his job there is no bus service at all and no one to car pool with either as people work various places and hours in our neck of the woods. Hubby works 2-3 days a week and his hours are not the same as our grandson. Our son has his truck for going to town 2-3 times a month and I have my car as our times to go places do not sync together and I to only go in 2-3 times a month usually. Our eldest son has his truck for his business and work as well. I have an AMC American Convertible for Sale 1966 for $15,000 it runs good don't need it but need money for other stuff. We also have 2 other trucks for hauling things to the dump and getting building supplies, feed and grain for livestock etc and fencing. Sometimes we need 2-3 trucks to get hay and firewood in. Living on a farm and rural mountains you need more than one vehicle for various things and reasons. My eldest son also has a 1965 Dodge Pick up that runs but needs body work and repainted he wants to fix up and sell. We live all on the same property but different abodes but help each other. Sometimes we have a car in the shop needing tune up or repairs. It is always good to have more than one car to drive.

I love my independence to come and go as I please, when I need to and where I want to...until my doctor takes away my privilege.