Once again, policy varies from country to country, according to the needs of local societies.  The scheme below, written in present tense, illustrates a scenario for the UK.

In the ideal world of the future, people travel less.  Firstly, they travel less because most provisions are delivered to the home … most shopping for goods takes place electronically.  Home delivery means that most people’s last real reason for owning a car has gone.  Second, they travel less because more people work from home or near their homes.

As for the travel itself, public transport has an enormous range of price and quality.  The railway network has been extended and modernised so that all trains are computer-controlled with countless failsafes built in.  Different carriages have different levels of comfort and services, and of course attract different prices, like the old first and second class.  To extend the rail network, new branch and main lines have been built that use magnetic floating trains on special monorails, with all the benefits in speed and agility that that technology brings with it.  The new routes follow either old disused rail lines or roads.  A few existing tracks, particularly where there are already several old-style tracks running in parallel, are also gradually being widened and upgraded with the new technology, but the vast majority of the train network is simply modernised, using a higher standard of track, computerised safety detection systems and computer control.  And of course, all the trains used are ultra modern and electric.

Then there is the road network, long considered far less safe than the rail network.  The road network has changed somewhat in view of the far smaller number of vehicles using it.  Some of the old four-plus-lane motorways have been narrowed by digging up the outer lanes and returning them to open countryside.  On some of the 3-lane motorways, the inner two lanes (old fast lane on each side) now carry new magnetic rail trains which connect with the rest of the rail network at key intersection points.  Monorail (Personal rapid Transport) systems are in use in many urban areas, all computer-controlled.

The rest of the road network now has a sunken electronic track in the road, enabling the use of more advanced public and personal transport systems that can track the road and consequently improve safety.  Public vehicles vary greatly in size, comfort and speed.  All public transport services are linked on a single searchable database, and all seats can be booked in advance very easily.  And they all link effectively to the rail network by having road stops at or near railway stations.

Personal vehicles are never owned, but rented / leased by individuals or groups or car pools, maintained by the manufacturer / supplier and eventually recycled by them.  There are very few of the old-style petrol engine vehicles remaining in service.

Thousands of transport stops have been identified across the country so that every person is within five minutes walking distance of a transport stop.  Whenever a public transport vehicle is not available on a route, special vehicles are laid on to meet the needs of the individual.  They can be booked even half an hour in advance, and the computers allocate the passenger either to an existing special vehicle or a special one laid on for the passenger, subject to the vehicle leaving within 15 minutes of the time the passenger actually prefers.  Some of theses special vehicles are unmanned.