Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20km
range, the distance conveniently accessible by horse.
Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail.
Invention of the motor vehicle brought personal mobility
to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible
over a much wider area. In the United Kingdom, about 90
per cent of inland freight is carried by road. The world
cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon. Can it avoid
being locked into congested and polluting ways of
transporting people and goods?