The Lake District national park authority has confirmed it will explore car-free zones as part of its traffic management plans in the national park in tandem with the National Trust. Thomas Burditt, National Trust general manager for the North Lakes, told the Times: ‘We need to address traffic issues in the national park.’

‘Car-free zones are an option we are considering. We are in discussions with residents, the Highways Agency and the parish council. The move is understood to be inspired by similar traffic management schemes employed by Alpine resorts, says The Times.

It has also been suggested that national parks and rural areas offer ‘an opportunity to take a lead in redefining public transport using less risky and contentious rural areas to develop and refine driverless vehicle technology’, comments consultant Nick Bromley in a letter to LTT this week.
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