Transport Act

The 2062 Transport Act was a piece of legislation passed by the Thames Republic in 2062 and agreed to by popular vote. It outlawed the use of private road vehicles, including cars and trucks, in densely populated areas, in favour of rail and bus-based alternatives. A small number of exceptions were made, including for emergency responders, law enforcement, military, and for those with disabilities.

Background

Just seven years prior, the Rail Regulation Act was passed, which overhauled the Republic's transport systems, unifying in particular railways under the banner of Transport for London. Owing to the rapid bolstering of quality and coverage of many areas of the Republic by rapid train connections, there was a push by citizens and lawmakers for the elimination of road vehicles and set an example for other nations to follow in environmental regulations.

Though combustion-based vehicles were already banned many years prior by the former British government as part of the 2021 Fossil Fuels Act, even electric vehicles were seen as an inefficient waste of valuable electricity as well as rare earth metals required in their construction, such as those needed for batteries.

Carpooling

Several specific guidelines were made for regions on the outskirts of dense areas, in which road vehicles were still required for commuters. The Act created benefits for carpoolers, and required all road vehicles entering dense areas to be registered as carpooling vehicles. The number of passengers would be recorded at city limits checkpoints; with a high number relative to the vehicle’s capacity required to maintain the carpooling registration.