Band 9: It has been suggested that cars and public transport should be banned from city centers and only bicycles be allowed instead. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some would argue that motor vehicles should be replaced by bikes in the central area of a city. This essay strongly disagrees with that statement because the inconvenience hinders the development of the local economy by lowering the efficiency and effectiveness of commuting for people and goods.

Cycling is not efficient enough for people to go to different locations. As it is undeniable that cars and buses are much faster than bicycles, which allow people to travel long distances in a relatively short time. By contrast, riding a bike requires more physical effort and time, and it may not be suitable for elderly people, disabled citizens or workers who need to carry equipment. For example, a salesperson who needs to attend meetings in different locations of a larger city centre would find it difficult to do so by bicycle alone. As a result, banning motor transportation would require people to spend more time and effort on travelling, reducing their productivity and the convenience of daily life.

Another problem is that bicycles cannot fully replace vehicles in transporting goods. Shops, restaurants and offices in city centres depend on regular deliveries of food, supplies and commercial products. Although cargo bikes may be useful for small packages, they are not suitable for heavy or bulky items. If vans and trucks were completely prohibited, many businesses would face delays, higher costs and reduced customer satisfaction. This could eventually harm the local economy, particularly in areas where retail and service industries depend heavily on efficient logistics. For example, Yiwu, a city that produces 90% of the small commercial goods sold on online shopping platforms and relies on effective logistics to send products to customers, will likely stop if trucks, vans, or cars are not allowed in the city.

In conclusion, it is not ideal to have cycling take the place of cars and other public transportation because of the inefficiency of commuting people, services and goods, and therefore, I believe it is better to keep the motor transport in the city centres.