As disposable income has increased over the decades, and the cost, in real terms, of the mass produced vehicle has come down, the numbers of private cars on our roads has increased, whilst the public transport system has become under used, and under funded.

Urbanisation in the latter part of the 20th century has caused the concentration of these vehicles within our cities.

This project will use Edinburgh as an example of a growing, modern city, with, like many of our cities, an old infrastructure that is incapable of coping with the demands now placed upon it.

Public transport is one of the main methods of easing congestion with in an urban area. What level dose public transport reach in the city? What do the people who use it feel about it? How many cars use the roads in Edinburgh on an average weekday? Why is congestion and overuse of the roads a problem that needs to be addressed? These are some questions this report will attempt to answer.

Finally, we will look at the plans currently being explored to improve the situation, and we will look abroad to see examples found there.

The public transport system in Edinburgh.

There are 37 commercial bus companies in the Lothian

We therefor conclude that public apathy is one of the greatest barriers that traffic planners will come across when aiming to reduce car numbers on the roads. Unless people begin to use public transport more, and increase the number of people in private cars by car sharing methods, the problem will not be alleviated.

Six separate traffic counts, lasting one hour each, took place on the road, taken on weekdays, at separate times during the day.

Methods of traffic control around the world:

The results of the public transport passenger questionnaire as follows:

Oxides of Sulphur and Nitrogen, which produces acid rain when mixed with water vapor in the high atmosphere, and creates toxic ground level ozone which, in turn, increases the levels of acids and free radicals in the air. These, when inhaled damage the lungs.

37% of people asked owned a car, 63% had no car.

When asked which they would prefer to travel by, if both cost the same, 66% of passengers said taxi, stating it was more convenient. 34% said bus.

In 1991, 48% of journeys to work in Edinburgh were by car, 34% by public transport, 16% by walking and 2% by bike.

Success has been achieved in Gothenburg's "environmental free zones" which only allow buses and taxis in certain areas. Zurich has also had success using its network of trams, trolleys and buses. Novel attempts have been made by other cities, notably Athens, including only allowing odd number plated cars on the road one day and even the next. Failure was brought about when it was discovered that many commuters bought both types of car

Some common words found in the essay are:
Lothian Council, Conclusion Edinburgh, CITY TRAFFIC, Sulphur Nitrogen, Japanese American, Transport Edinburgh, Regonal Council, Oxygen Carbon, Park Ride, Edinburgh Lothian, public transport, traffic control, private cars, transport edinburgh, public transport system, city traffic, council figures, transport system, cars roads, journey times, transport edinburgh good, public transport edinburgh, bus journey times, bus journey,
Approximate Word count = 1410
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)