Walking

Well, here’s a plot twist no one saw coming: James May – yes, that James May – has finally said what many of us have been shouting into traffic fumes for years. Cars don’t belong in cities. Not just that they’re a bit annoying, or need managing – but that, deep down, they simply don’t fit.

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There is something deeply absurd about the modern pedestrian crossing. Consider, if you will, the average urban dweller reduced to a supplicant at the altar of the automobile. One presses the beg-button, that infernal totem of subjugation, and then… one waits. And waits.

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The true cost of car dependency is eye-watering. Research from Sweden puts the lifetime cost of car ownership at nearly £500,000 - of which a staggering 41% is shouldered by society. From air pollution to road deaths, congestion to climate emissions, the damage caused by our car-first culture extends far beyond individual drivers.

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Hydration has become a full-blown lifestyle choice. From commuters clutching sleek, reusable bottles to weekend adventurers with high-tech flasks, the humble water bottle has gone from a functional object to a fashion statement.

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Despite recent changes to the Highway Code spelling out a clear hierarchy of responsibility on UK roads, car makers seem determined to place the burden on those most at risk.

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