The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Cars are arguably among the most impactful inventions to date. Since the start of them, the number of cars has increased at an unparalleled pace, resulting in the fact that 29 million vehicles are projected to run around Britain in 2000. It is suggested by many people that the British government should impose regulations in favour of other means of transportation, so that the excessive use of cars can be hampered. From my perspective, I strongly support

this

measure for many reasons. On the one hand, people who prefer driving cars than taking public transit may do so because of the flexibility of time that the private transport brings to their life. Despite the increased frequency of trains and buses, workers in non-standard hours or parents still feel the need to control their time, and they often feel frustrated having to rely on others for their travel. To make things work, the fast pace of life nowadays makes people more impatient than ever, resulting in their opting out of anything that requires waiting even for a short period.

Furthermore

, business people or high level managers in big corporations may find it impossible to travel to meet their business partners due to the status implications. To maintain a public image, a car, often from a luxury brand, is the ultimate option.

On the other hand

, supporters of the limit on car use may point to the vehicle's negative impacts on the environment and health.

First

of all, the emission of carbon dioxide from cars has been destroying the ozone layer, and attributing to lower quality of air. The consequences of these occurrences are obvious, with the number of skin cancer and lung failure cases soaring in countries with more cars.

Secondly

, cars are fuelled by oil and gas, which are non-renewable energy resources.

Therefore

, having more cars and relying on

this

means of transport equals heading towards a dark future where there can be no solution left to move around the Earth.

However

, governments, scientists and engineers are now making an effort to develop electric cars in place of the traditional ones, which may hopefully lessen environmental footprint and resource depletion. In conclusion, I am an advocate of car use for its convenience and social implications, and I believe in the future other types of cars may be designed to both serve individual needs and sustainability.