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My concern is that private vehicles really must be allowed access to medical centers, which are often in city centers. Most patients can’t ride the bus/train/bike, and no taxi driver or ride share wants a barfing miserable person in their car. Door-to-door transportation is crucial in medical situations.
Isn’t this what ambulances/non-emergency medical transport is for?
I mean, where I’m from you have two different medical phone numbers, one for emergencies, and one for non-urgent help, like transport to chemo or other regular treatments.
Edit: As in: a securing of health infrastructure should be included in the car-free discourse. Having free and easily accessible medical transportation would make the argument for less private cars much more palatable.
I’m studying in a medical profession where I frequently attend to people in their homes, sometimes urgently (midwife in Canada). We are all required to have private cars to drive to people’s houses and meet people at the hospital for births and assessments.
If the medical system would give me a free car to use for my profession that would be cool… But I’d also have to use it just like a private car because you can get called to a birth while grocery shopping since you’re on-call 24/7 as a primary care provider.
Home care does actually take others off the road which is a fun bonus though. The first week of birth and postpartum assessments taking place in the home saves clients about 8 car rides which is great because riding in a car or driving during labour is no bueno and postpartum riding sucks. After a C-section you can’t drive either. Even in a hospital delivery postpartum care occurs in the home which people find an absolutely fantastic experience. Those appointments aren’t emergencies but there can be emergencies…
I know of one bike midwife. But that’s extremely rare and all students must drive.
While we’re at it, ban SUVs and Light Trucks, by making a separate licence for them. If you need one for work? Or for personal use? Get a license that proves you know how to use one.
SUVs and Light trucks have done so much damage to our society: both by being dangerous as fuck, and in the insane amounts of pollution that emit. It’s about time the United States, and any other country that hasn’t yet, apply bandage to the wound. Slow the bleeding. Then the healing can begin.
