Why Cities Still Need Cars

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1. 01Why Cities Still Need Cars

   Good morning. Car-free streets look beautiful in photos, and it's easy to see why people love the idea. However, today I'll argue that removing cars from our cities is not as simple, or as fair, as it sounds.

   大家早安。沒有車的街道在照片裡看起來很美，也不難理解為什麼大家喜歡這個想法。不過，今天我要主張的是：把車子趕出城市，並沒有聽起來那麼簡單，也沒有那麼公平。

2. 02Not Everyone Can Walk or Cycle

   First, not everyone can walk or ride a bike easily. Older people, people with disabilities, and parents with small children often depend on cars to get around.

   首先，不是每個人都能輕鬆地走路或騎腳踏車。長輩、身心障礙者，還有帶著小小孩的爸媽，常常都要靠開車才能移動。

3. 03Public Transport Isn't Everywhere

   Second, good public transport isn't available everywhere. In a big city center, a train may come every few minutes. But in the suburbs and the countryside, buses can be rare, and distances are long.

   第二，不是每個地方都有完善的大眾運輸。在大城市的市中心，可能每隔幾分鐘就有一班車。但在郊區和鄉下，公車可能很少，距離也很遠。

4. 04Cities Still Need Vehicles

   Third, cities need vehicles to work. Shops need deliveries, ambulances and fire engines need to reach people quickly, and construction work needs trucks. We cannot simply remove roads.

   第三，城市要運作就需要車輛。店家需要送貨，救護車和消防車需要很快趕到現場，工程也需要卡車。我們不能就這樣把道路拿掉。

5. 05Some Shops May Suffer

   There is also a risk for some local businesses. Shops that sell large or heavy items, like furniture, may lose customers who can no longer drive and park nearby.

   另外，一些在地店家也會面臨風險。賣大型或笨重商品的店，像是家具行，可能會失去那些沒辦法再開車過來、在附近停車的客人。

6. 06A Better Balance

   So what's the alternative? Instead of banning cars, cities can improve public transport first, make streets safer for walking and cycling, and make changes slowly, together with local people.

   那麼，替代方案是什麼呢？與其禁止汽車，城市可以先改善大眾運輸，讓街道對走路和騎腳踏車的人更安全，並且跟在地居民一起，慢慢地推動改變。

7. 07My Position

   My position is this: cities should put people first, but that does not mean removing cars completely. The goal should be streets that work for everyone.

   我的立場是：城市應該以人為優先，但這不代表要把車子完全拿掉。我們的目標應該是打造適合每一個人的街道。

8. 08Conclusion

   In the end, a good city is one where everyone can get where they need to go. Let's design streets that are fair, not just beautiful. Thank you.

   說到底，一座好的城市，是每個人都能抵達自己需要去的地方。讓我們設計出公平的街道，而不只是漂亮的街道。謝謝。