Jay of Melbourne, I'm not talking about the past - I'm looking to the future.

For example Adelaide has a Solar/Electric bus service - more information can be read at:

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=3945

The costs of these buses is expensive - the bus cost was around $1 million dollars, but through increased taxes on people who drive (that being personal vehicles), we can put extra funds into research - and hopefully see affordable, environmentally friendly vehicles made in Australia and create jobs in the manufacturing industry - and at the same time get people around to various locations like shops for example.

Dear me!
Are Neanderthals an officially protected group now?

Nathan J.
Great, I'm all for it and I'm an enthusiastic walker myself, mainly because during the week it's actually just as quick to walk to the shops as it is to drive.
The problem is that we live in an upside down economy in badly designed cities where rich people ride bicycles or get public transport to work and poor people have no option but to drive cars.
This situation is becoming worse, not better so your ideas are less likely to come to fruition as the population booms and the hinterlands of our cities fill up with welfare dependant Third world migrants .

Jay of Melbourne,

Can we please "try" and stick to the topic? That is getting away from our car dependent society, and moving towards more environmentally friendly transport (like solar), better designed options (like improved) public transport) systems?

My local public transport was substantially cut in 2007 - and I have been pushing for services to be put back on since that time.

Clogged roads full of cars, are tiresome and exhausting, governments are spending a fortune on new roads and our un-environmentally friendly cars are damaging people's health and our environment.

There will also easily be some people who will put climate change into the picture. Solar/electric buses - could also address that.

As for walking - more people do this in a shopping centre - than in a park or cycling on a linear trail or road.

Nathan seeing we are already stuck with large suburbs not built close
to public transport we will have to organise more local small bus
services that run into those areas. The difficulty is if it becomes
uneconomic to to even drive to the station then it is difficult to see
how even the small local bus service could have a suitable frequency.
Bicycles seem to be the obvious answer, but will not suit everyone.
They already have this problem in the US and the result is not pretty.
Many such suburbs are deteriorating into decrepit slums.
Suburban shopping malls are failing especially if they have large car parks.

How long can commuters pay about $300 after tax money weekly for tolls and petrol ?

Ok Nathan on topic.

First get your damn bikes off the arterial roads paid for by my fuel taxes, ride them around your subdivision if you like.

Second, there would be plenty of those fuel taxes for great roads, if far too much of them weren't wasted on subsidizing public transport for the very few. Do try to pay your own way.

Thirdly stop stuffing up already strained roads & parking with bikeways no one ever uses.

Fourthly explain how public transport or bikes are of any use to workers who have to deliver & recover, kids at daycare, school, or sporting venues as part of their journey.

Fifthly explain how a bus, that will often take a couple of hours to do 30 kilometers, is of any use to anyone but a greenie ratbag.

Oh, & if you don't like the way topics can develop a life of their own on OLO, rather than remain the property of the original poster, perhaps it is not the best place for you.