For many this may be a strange and even absurd title. The car has become a part of our life that we cannot imagine eliminated. The car has become a culture on its own, a status symbol and key user item within our daily routines. Why then such provocative title as if the car would disappear? Let us look at some signs and common sense:

Signs:

• The European Commission issued a paper in which the car is banned from any city environment by 2050.
• 80% of our car use is for the short distance. If we live in the city and car use is banned we serious ask ourselves why we would need to possess one if just used for family visites, recreation and travel out of town?
• A paper was issued annoucing plans to introduce CO2 tax on usage of vehicals. For many decades governments have enriched themselves on taxes over fuel and never bothered about CO2 until the global warming started to become an issue. Using tax money to pay for a larger infrastructure now they want to use our CO2 emissions to reduce their deficits. If at the same time they open up their policies for speeded introductions of vehicals on alternative energy forms this taxing may be stimulous for people to consider such car. But what would be next? A tax on fine dust emision of the tires?
• In many large city the space burden of cars is tremendous. Not just a car that is in use and causes pollution, traffic jams and accidents, but also a stationed car that causes spacial problems when not in use, which is most of the time. Parking in those cities has gone up as much as 7 euros per hour, growing steadily to discourage car ownership.
• In villages the luxory of a parking space in the street in front of the house is now seen by government as a service which can be charges as one uses public space that otherwise could be used for other activities, s.a. foodproduction or recreation ground for children en elderly people or space for CO2 reducing and water managing living green. Yearly tarrifs of 3000 euros and more have been seen already in certain municipalities. This, over an average life time of 5 years of a new car in a family, dubbles the cost of ownership.
• Petrol has grown tremendously expensive over de last few years. At the end of the month the traffic jams reduce because people cannot use the car anymore until their next pay check arrives. They stay at home,use public transportation or use alternative facilities like car sharing, the bycicle, etc.
• Less directly visible is the annual cost of pollution and green house effect in cities on human health. It is scientifically estimated that a government can save yearly up to 700 euros per inhabitant if they pay attention to air quality alone (http://www.aireas.com ).
• Also less visible and measurable is the lack of human productivity due to time inefficiencies in private transportation, health issues due to stress and pollution and long term consequences of reduced family quality time on children due to long parental absence during the day.
• The entire world economy is under pressure due to the intense speculation with money of banks, governments, multinationals, etc. The crises follow each other up rapidly each with a strong national but also potentially global character. It becomes more and more difficult to have and to keep a job while social securities, pensions and insurances are also under pressure due to mismanagement of funds. While our individual financial securities show a decreasing line the cost of our traditional life style is rocketing sky high with the end not yet in sight. More and more people are seriously looking at their quality of life all together and feel forced to start considering important modifications. The untouchable luxury of the car is slowly becoming touchable.