Analysis of Car Dependency in Melbourne: A Strategic Report

This report examines the increasing car dependency in Melbourne, Australia, and its implications for transport, city planning, and energy management. It explores the historical context of car usage, citing data on the shift towards private vehicle preference and the associated impacts on traffic congestion, pollution, and public health. The analysis delves into the strategic planning challenges arising from high car dependency, including congestion, environmental damage, and the need for sustainable transport solutions. The report reviews the existing literature and presents arguments supported by data and research, offering suggestions for addressing the identified problems. It proposes strategies such as investing in public transport, promoting alternative energy vehicles, and encouraging compact urban development to reduce car dependency and foster a more sustainable and livable city. The report emphasizes the need for integrated planning to mitigate the negative consequences of car dependency and improve the overall quality of life for Melbourne residents.

Car dependency in Melbourne

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This essay is compiled for studying the strategic planning in the transport and energy sector
by addressing the issue of an increase in the car dependency among the people in Melbourne.
For this analysis, a detailed study and evaluation of the level of dependency that people of
Melbourne have on their cars and the impact that this is having in the management of the
traffic, city transportation and energy as discussed. The previous literature on topics related to
this is studied and the issues that are raised in them with regard to the contemporary planning
practice for the strategic management of transport and energy is also included in this essay. It
comprises of a critical analysis of the issues that the people responsible for planning and
management need to face because of a high dependency of the people on the cars and
arguments are presented along with the suggestions for addressing the problems and issues
identified through this analysis. Transport can be defined as the cumulative phenomena
through which the spatial distance is covered by the people and goods in space. The entire
process of movement from the people or the goods from one place to the other is defined as
transportation (Litman, 2002). The strategic development and long term planning of the cities
is shaped by the accessibility to be provided to the people and the ease of transport.
Therefore, transport shapes the pattern in which people settle down in the cities and is also
responsible for the creation and maintenance of the structural infrastructure and all the
network elements associated with it. Melbourne is an Australian City which is the capital of
Victoria. It is the city having second highest population in Australia and Oceania. Melbourne
covers an area of 9,992.5 km sq. which includes the 31 municipalities and is a home to more
than 4.7 million people. More than 60% of the people in Melbourne prefer to travel to their
work places in their own cars which is increasingly becoming a concern for the city. This
essay discusses the challenges faced by them because of an increased dependency on cars and
proposed solutions and methods for addressing the issue (Kodukula, 2011).
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The cars and other automobiles have played a key role and are termed to be one of the
greatest inventions of all times. With a greater connectivity and the options of faster modes of
transportation, the need to travel in the cities has increased over the years. For this, the
automobiles are considered a dependable mode uP Transport not just in terms of flexibility
and convenience that they offer but also because it has become a yardstick for determining
the affluence of the person and is a symbol of their security. The build infrastructure of
various cities is also shared by car ownership and the automobiles have also played a
Cardinal role and the development of the roads and other transportation systems. The city of
Melbourne is majorly driven by private vehicles and the inclination of people towards car
dependency has only increased over the years. The graph below indicates the mode of travel
preferred by the people of Melbourne and the changes and shifts in it over the years (Hynes,
2017).
(Hynes, 2017)
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As is evident from the chart, an increase in the inclination of people towards private vehicles
as the preferred mode of travel in Melbourne can be observed. The dependency on
automobiles and the impact associated with it or not a new phenomenon and is a widely
researched subject not just in the field of transport and planning but also in the fields of
Social Science and strategic planning. The automobile industry is registering a continuous
increase in the sales and growth of the organization not just in the terms of production but
also in terms of ownership of the vehicles. The growth and prosperity of this industry is
largely linked with economic activities and the development of that area and nation (Holden,
2006).
Melbourne is named the highest car dependent region in all of Australia and the dominance
of the automobiles among the other modes of travel and transport is generally attributed to
the growth and development of the city. This is also because of the underdeveloped public
transport system and the availability of limited routes that can be accessed through the rail
and bus. The infographic below indicates that as much as 84% of the people dwelling in
Melbourne travel to work is in the private vehicles (McKibbin, 2011). The outer suburbs of
Melbourne are the biggest population growth centres in Australia and the population growth
results in the growth unemployment and the flow of the computers however, the growth of
jobs in the outer suburbs of Melbourne has been unable to keep up the pace with the increase
in the population. This was forced their residents to commute to areas for the away from their
places for employment. This is another reason why people have to commute to work and they
cannot make use of the public transport due to its unavailability or limited reach (Lucas,
2009).
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(Joseph, 2009)
The graph below also compares the preferred mode of travel that people of Australia and
those belonging to the Greater Melbourne choose. As many as 60% of the people in the
greater Melbourne area prefer to themselves drive the car to work and about 5% of the people
travel through cars as passengers (Kenworthy & Laube, 1999).
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(Currie, 2016)
Some of the reasons presented for the increase car dependency among the people of
Melbourne is the cultural commitment of the people and the increased material opportunities
that people get by using car as the mode of transport. The people living in the suburbs cannot
gain access to the public transport or it is generally poorly serviced but the Road
Infrastructure is well maintained which increases the inclination towards travelling by using
cards.
The automobile industry plays a significant role in the economic development of the
countries and therefore its growth is intricately linked to the economic activities of that area.
However, there are numerous strategic planning issues that are presented in the society due to
the increase in the dependence on cars by the people. Congestion is the greatest challenge that
people have to face in the regions where there is high car dependency. An increase in the car
dependency of the people results in an increase in the road traffic which grows at a faster rate
as compared to the road capacity. This impacts the travelers, the society and in turn the entire
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economy because of the delays, frustration, pollution and health issues caused due to it.
Congestion also caused the businesses due to the loss of resources as it increases the
processing cost and the time taken for the delivery of products and services. Daily
commuting in the cities and other congested areas also takes it all on the emotional and
physical well-being of the people and this has become a critical issue which is associated
with the increased dependency of the people on cars (Newman, 1996).
The increase in the dependency on cars by the people also gives rise to the concerns related to
pollution, global warming and climate change. The running of automobiles on the road
increases the air pollution and causes environmental damage which gives rise to numerous
challenges that the policy makers of the area have to deal with. The consumption of fossil
fuels by these vehicles and the energy related carbon emissions are also an area of concern
which needs to be addressed due to the high dependency of the people on automobiles. The
levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere is constantly increasing which is also
giving rise to the prevalence of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, asthma, stress and
other pollution related ailments. These emotions are expected to rise further with the
popularity of cars as the preferred mode of transport by the people in Melbourne (Litman,
2002).
The accidents due to road traffic have become a common site in Melbourne and the deaths
and injuries caused by them also make up a significant challenge and burden on the policy
makers and the society. Millions of people are injured and killed in road accidents every year
and the road traffic injuries are becoming the leading contributor to the Global burden of
diseases and injuries cost to the people. The land use and development of the infrastructure is
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also linked to the mode of transport preferred by the people. The popularity and high
dependency of the people on the cars has led to urbanization and is also leading the people
towards adopting on healthy living habits. The vulnerable communities are also excluded in
the society because of this and the people not having access to the basics amenities also lead
to a reduction in the quality of life of the people (Kenworthy, 2000).
Some other issues related to strategic planning that are caused because of the rise in the
dependency of the people on the automobiles include the impact on the hearing capabilities of
the people and expenditure that the decision makers need to incur because of the investments
to be made for the maintenance of the infrastructure. The exploitation of the natural habitat
and the changes in the built environment is also leading to the consumption of the land mass
which can otherwise be used for activities that are economically more viable. The disposal of
the vehicles that are no longer in use by the people also leads to degradation of the
environment and impacts the natural habitat. It also gives rise to a number of health issues
and the energy planning of the countries is disturbed because of the exponential increase in
the fuel consumption because of the rise in the dependency on cars by the people of
Melbourne (Buys, et al., 2012).
There is no doubt that the high dependency of the people of Melbourne on cars represents
numerous problems that need to be immediately address by the people and policy makers. If
these issues are not taken care of, the trend of increase in the Purchase and use of private
vehicles by the people is unlikely to change in the future. There are numerous ways and
strategies that can be employed to reduce this dependency. The efficient planning of the
development of infrastructure and land use in Melbourne can encourage to people to reduce
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the dependency on cars and adopt the Other Modes of transport (Engelfriet, 2015). For this
the cities and the City structure needs to be designed to be compact and provide all the
facilities within short distances in order to reduce the need of transportation with the help of
vehicles from one place to the other. Melbourne also required some major developments in
the public transport infrastructure of the city by investing in the mass transit modes and by
popular is rising them among the people. By developing the railway line, metro, and bus
routes along with designing and planning the city to become friendly for the non-motorized
modes of walking and cycling, a promotion of the other modes of transport can be carried out
among the people (Kay, 2015).
The people responsible for planning and developing the infrastructure of the city can also
take measures for analyzing and assessing the travel demand and take steps for its
management. The promotion of vehicles that run on alternative sources of energy can also
minimize the use of fossil fuels which will not only reduce the emission of carbon and
greenhouse gases by these vehicles but also cut down on the pollutant emissions that cause
health problems and other respiratory diseases (Johnson, 2007).
The United Nations has claimed that the urban environment all over the world need to
promote the use of renewable energy and motivate the people to adopt these alternative fuels
in order to prevent the further degradation of the environment. By developing vehicles that
reduce the energy usage and are on the higher side of energy efficiency can also help in
keeping a check on the environmental damage and allow the government to efficiently plan
energy consumption and design a future with low carbon emissions and production of
greenhouse gases.
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In order to reduce the dependency of the people of Melbourne on cars, there are divergent
options that can be implemented all over the city. The physical planning and layout needs to
be carried out in such a way that a higher degree of accessibility is provided to the people
with adequate choices of good quality so that they do not have to commute or travel much
which will bring about a reduction in car dependence. For reducing the dependence of the
people of Melbourne on the cars, some major changes need to be carried out all across the
society. There is a need for a major shift to be brought about in the choice behaviour of the
people from the present value system for them and there is also a need for a breakthrough by
adopting a new technological paradigm that provide people with the options and ways to
fulfill their need for mobility and provide them a higher access to the local as well as global
complexes woven across to be at an accessible distance through alternative modes of travel
that are non-motorized (Ochieng & Jama, 2015).
Melbourne also has to invest in quality transit system for public transport preferably the rail
transport which can be carried out in lines of Singapore and Hong Kong. By doing this, they
can motivate the people to switch to public transport which will not only lower their cost of
commuting but also reduce the time and the energy consumed for driving from one place to
the other. For doing this, the city needs to be prepared to introduce simultaneous restaurants
on the structure and economy while continuing the investment in the public transport. In
addition to this, they also need to invest in the improvements in the infrastructure designed
for the pedestrians and the cyclist all over the city (Currie & Delbosc, 2013).
Some of the techniques that can be employed by the authorities for reducing the car
dependence further for the people of Melbourne are the initiative of traffic calming for the
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creation of humane environment which is more suited for the non-motorized modes of
transportation. They also need to ensure that there are genuine options and alternative
available to the people in the form of quality public transport, walking and bicycle lanes
where people can safely travel. There is also a need to practice growth management in order
to keep the urbanization in check and to redirect the development towards the urban villages
and the suburban areas of Melbourne. Some other ways through which the car dependence of
the people of Melbourne can be kept in check is by improving and redesigning the taxation
system of the city. The private vehicles should be heavily taxed and the tax levied on the
public transport system should be reduced to motivate the people to switch to the latter
(Joseph, 2009).
The initiative can also be carried out to revitalize the inner cities and areas and the
organizations and authorities can focus on the development of the location that are more
feasible for transit and are currently underutilized. The shops, services and other commercial
activities should only be focused along the mean streets and the community facilities like the
health centers, schools, parks and other Open Spaces should be evenly distributed along the
neighborhoods to ensure that every area has equal access ability to it. The neighborhoods of
the city should also be created so that a wide range of housing opportunities are provided to
the people belonging to all sectors of the economy. The density of the residential areas should
be higher along the outer areas of the town and should be reduced towards the center. The
movement routes developed why the authorities should be such that they can be easily shared
by private vehicles, buses, pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized vehicles (Currie,
2016).
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