What is being widely termed a second lockdown is due to run until Wednesday 2 December, although few would be surprised if it were extended belong that, with the government underlining that “the single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.”

According to the government’s own figures, motor traffic is already back to almost 100 per cent of levels before lockdown, despite 28 per cent of the workforce still working remotely.

While the prospect of a second national lockdown currently looms large, Rachel Aldred, Professor of Transport at the University of Westminster, has predicted that ultimately up to 2.7m more people who had previously commuted by public transport could switch to travelling by car when measures are eventually lifted.

Believe it or not, a cash-for-clunkers plan helped get old and polluting cars off the road, replacing them with efficient and traffic-reducing personal electric vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters.

Shocking, right?
Trading in old cars for new electric bikes
Perhaps it’s not so shocking for Lithuanians, who jumped at the opportunity to swap their old cars for new e-bikes.
The program was developed by Lithuania‘s Environmental Project Management Agency (APVA), part of the country’s Ministry of Environment.
The program began this summer with a budget of €8 million.
To qualify, citizens can apply for and then receive a subsidy of up to €1,000 (nearly US$1,200) for the purchase of a new electric bicycle, bicycle, e-scooter, e-moped, e-motorcycle or even public transportation credits, after exchanging their old vehicle, according to LRT.