Odd / even car ban – could you cope?

A recent one-day scheme in Paris to reduce pollution has been deemed a success. The scheme saw  drivers with license plates ending in even numbers banned from driving on the roads of Paris for one day. A similar scheme has run successfully in China with odd and even plates driving on alternate days. In Paris, the majority of drivers obeyed the ruling, however many risked being caught as they simply had to drive. One driver who received a fine said they just had to budget for the fine as they had no other way of getting their children to school.

The scheme may have been inconvenient to many, but it did reduce traffic congestion and lower pollution levels, so it won’t be a surprise if the scheme is extended in the future.

If a similar scheme ran in the UK, could you manage? Would you end up buying a second car with the opposite plate so you could drive every day? Some of us can manage on public transport, but if you need to carry heavy equipment to work, or you live in a rural area with no transportation links, what would you do?