An article by Tess Kalinowski in the Nov. 5th Toronto Star discusses the inevitable gridlock that will shut down Toronto and spill over to the surrounding regions. Inevitable? It doesn’t have to be if The Parkdale Party gets its way.
There is one solution to the present and growing traffic chaos that costs us all money, time, and nerves. It is common for strategists and planners to over-analyze such a situation and ultimately not be able to see the forest for the trees.
The solution, as previously published as part of The Parkdale Party Platform, is to reduce the number of cars on the road. Those who scoff at this approach need to investigate the direction taken by some European countries such as Germany. Compare Germany’s treatment of drivers to that in Ontario and you will quickly see where the problem lies and what the solution is.
In the same edition of the Toronto Star there is an article by Bill Taylor in the Wheels section where he describes his experiences driving in Germany. Mr. Taylor describes the mutual respect that drivers have and identifies the fundamental difference where in Germany they take the position that “No one gets a licence without extensive training, both in theory and practice…”. He goes further to comment on the level of driver training in Germany where “It’s pretty different from Canada and includes at least 30 or 35 hours with a teacher. You go to theory classes for weeks before you’re allowed to do the written test. In the car, the teacher has duplicate controls. You cover city driving, winding hill roads, night driving and, of course, the autobahn at high speeds.”
A quick check of The Parkdale Party’s Platform point #5 – Traffic will show the way we will handle this tremendous problem. Our solution will help not just Toronto but every city in Ontario that is nearing its traffic capacity. The implementation of our proposal will have immediate as well as long-lasting effects and will buy the time required to expand the infrastructure to meet the growing demand.
About Walter Widla
why not just say "you,re not allowed to take a bus from Richmond Hill to Barrie in order to take your test there" ?