Maybe AD 1900 ;)

Here's how Copenhagen does it.

I scrapped my car a while ago, regretfully - I love driving - because I realised that it was just ridiculously expensive. I used to use it for work, but most of the work had dried up, and for shorter journeys I was cycling. The only time I was using the car was for bringing the dog to the park or the sea, or occasionally to drive across the country. But it was costing me a minimum of €2,000 a year in tax, insurance, parts, etc. Then it failed the NCT fairly comprehensively, because of rust in the boot. Having seen the aftermath of a tragic accident years ago when a girl's arm was sheared off and she bled to death after her boyfriend's old banger separated its top from its chassis, I'm very nervous of body rust. So that was that.

The only thing I regret is the trips to the sea or across the country - I still travel around the country a fair bit, on trains. Everything else is done on the bike or occasionally the bus. And I'm becoming more and more aware of how harmful the car culture is. Over the Christmas, seven people were killed by cars in Ireland. Seven precious lives lost that can never be given back! How do we not ask questions about that?