Liverpool City Council recently adopted a five-year transport plan that contained some ambitious targets.

Carbon emission from private cars are to be cut by 50% by 2027. There are only two ways of achieving this. Half the private cars in Liverpool must become fully electric cars or the number of private cars and the miles they drive must be cut by 50%.

There are roughly 162,000 cars in Liverpool. Option one is neither feasible nor desirable. Option two is challenging, but if Liverpool City Region is to achieve its aim of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 the only way of doing this is a modal shift away from private cars to public transport and active travel (wheeling, walking and cycling).

How can this be accomplished? One way of doing this is through sticks. By discouraging driving in certain areas by making it inconvenient to do so.

Liverpool City Council has recently installed new traffic cameras around the city centre and on some “school streets”. The bus gate on Ranelgh Street, is actually a traffic camera, fining private vehicles that enter from Renshaw Street or Lime Street.

This is a positive step, but more radical action is needed. Private cars must be excluded from the city centre, which should welcome people with open arms but give their cars the elbow. Taxis would very welcome.

Cities across the world are taking steps to be more pleasant places by prioritising people over their cars. Paris just announced 180km of cycle lanes will be introduced by 2026.

That’s the kind of action that will reduce private car use by 50%.