English C1: A letter to the editor

A newspaper has suggested banning cars from the city centre. Write a letter to the editor giving your view.

Dear Editor, I read with great interest your article “Making Room for Pedestrians” of 12 March, in which you call for a car-free city centre. I wholeheartedly support this proposal. Firstly, air quality would improve noticeably, which is urgently needed given that pollution limits are regularly exceeded. Secondly, the centre would become a far more pleasant place to spend time: where cars are parked today, there could be trees, benches and playgrounds. It is often argued that local shops would suffer from the loss of parking spaces. Experience in cities such as Copenhagen and Ghent, however, shows that pedestrians and cyclists visit more often and, overall, actually spend more. What matters, though, is that the change goes hand in hand with a substantial expansion of public transport. I would therefore urge the city council not merely to impose bans, but also to invest in buses, trams and safe cycle lanes. Yours faithfully, Dr Elizabeth Brandt