TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN و YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

Three years ago, the small town of Westbridge tried an experiment. Every Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., cars were banned from the five streets around the old market square. Buses and delivery vans were still allowed in before 10 a.m., and people with disabilities could apply for a special permit. The idea was not popular at first. In a survey carried out before the scheme began, 62 per cent of shop owners said they expected to lose customers. Some even threatened to move their businesses to the shopping centre outside town. In fact, only two shops closed during the first year, and both owners said the scheme was not the reason. According to figures published by the town council, the number of people visiting the centre on Fridays rose by 18 per cent in the first year. Air pollution on the market square fell sharply on car-free days, although it returned to normal levels on the other days of the week. In my view, these results speak for themselves. The critics who predicted that the town centre would die were simply wrong. That said, I do not believe Westbridge has found a perfect solution. Closing a few streets one day a week is a gesture, not a transport policy. If the council is serious about cleaner air, it should improve the bus service, which is still slow and unreliable, instead of celebrating one good day a week. Other towns are now watching closely, but Westbridge's success will not be easy to copy. Its centre is compact enough to cross on foot in ten minutes, and that is something many larger towns simply do not have.