Car ownership under Socialism

Once public transport is actually done properly much of the need for private vehicles will greatly diminish.

Some sort of fleet of recreational vehicles (for holidays and so on) could be developed and as for emergencies (like a sick child in the middle of the night) I don't see why a proper ambulance or taxi service couldn't suffice.

The Mighty O wrote:

Out of curiosity how would the State afford these extensive public transport links, how much would buses and trains cost and in an urban area like London for example you would need a massive fleet of buses to run around the clock to cater for all times day and night?
Sometimes if you live in the countryside, like I do, personal transport can be a necessity to get from A to B. You can only have so many buses running on so many given routes. The cost of this would be massive.

I think that remote areas could be somewhat of an exception, with calculations of cost and convenience determining whether the rural area can be integrated into the mass transit system. Also, obviously work vehicles for things like agricultural work wouldn't diminish in quantity, given the need for timeliness. With regard to the costs of round the clock urban transport, the costs would have huge economic, social and environmental benefits mentioned above that would make them worthwhile. Also, given that there are less cars on the roads, buses could use much already existing infrastructure and generally avoid creating too much new congestion. Also, massive new infrastructure projects along with orders for buses, train cars and corresponding service vehicles, and the need for an a significant increase in the number of drivers and service people would provide people with jobs and income. Jobs were guaranteed in the USSR and most other socialist countries, but this was facilitated by the constant shortages of workers in almost every field. A new transport policy and infrastructure would create this need in whatever country adopts socialism, thus giving virtually everyone worthwhile, stable, and socially useful jobs.