> Oslo tried to ban cars, but there has been a huge backlash, without the right sort of support some of the most vulnerable (i.e. people with physical disabilities) just cannot live successfully in cities.
That's the main problem with the approach taken by local governments to ban cars: they always fall short of actually solving the mobility problem which cars have been solving for decades. Governments are shortsighted and focus on reaching their goals (get rid of cars), but in the process they fail to provide alternatives such as improving and extending the reach of mass transit services.
This is also a very narrow view of "disability", there are many reasons why someone may not be willing or able to ride a bike, not all of them are met by suggesting that those people should use a hand cycle or electric wheelchair.
And you are suggesting their needs are better met by buying a transporter that they then have to entirely rejig for a cost in excess of $30k and telling everyone who wants to get around by handcycle or electric wheelchair to fuck off?
It's hard to see this as any more than a thinly veiled "but I need my car!" by people who have likely never in their life met a disabled person.
> Many people with disabilities can easier ride a handcycle or just an electronically powered wheelchair than they can use a car.
If that was true then they would be riding handycles instead of a car.
Moreover, I fail to see the relevance of your point. Local and central governments are invested in eliminating the best options available to a significant portion of society, and are failing to even consider introducing any alternative services. Claiming that people with disabilities could use another means of transportation fails to address the issue.
That's the main problem with the approach taken by local governments to ban cars: they always fall short of actually solving the mobility problem which cars have been solving for decades. Governments are shortsighted and focus on reaching their goals (get rid of cars), but in the process they fail to provide alternatives such as improving and extending the reach of mass transit services.