ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the fuel crisis to investigate how travel adapts to the progressive removal of the car and, as a consequence, to throw light on the barriers to a shift to more sustainable modes of transport. It presents the main findings from the analysis of the quantitative data from the telephone survey about the potential for modal substitution, for different trip purposes and for three regions of the country. Although these findings relate to the extreme scenario of a fuel shortage, they indicate the kinds of adaptations that would have to accompany any significant traffic reduction. The chapter provides information regarding the stated behavioural responses to questions relating to a hypothetical fuel crisis. A switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles is not a short-term option, but may be part of the long-term solution. Policy could be directed toward achieving greater reliability and improved access through the use of low floor vehicles.
