Izwe Elingenazo Izimoto?
INGABE ungacabanga ngezwe elingenazo izimoto? Noma ungayisho yini into esungulwe phakathi naleminyaka eyikhulu edlule eye yashintsha indlela yokuphila nokuziphatha kwabantu kakhulu njengazo? Ngaphandle kwezimoto, bekungeke kube namahhotela, izindawo zokudlela ezingama-drive-in, nezindawo zamabhayisikobho ezingama-drive-in. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, ngaphandle kwamabhasi, amathekisi, izimoto, noma amaloli, ubungaya kanjani emsebenzini? esikoleni? Abalimi nabakhiqizi bebengaziyisa kanjani izimpahla zabo emakethe?
“Ibhizinisi elilodwa kwayisithupha e-United States lithembele ekwakhiweni, ekuthengisweni, ekusevisweni, nasekusetshenzisweni kwezimoto,” kuphawula i-New Encyclopædia Britannica, inezela: “Izinto ezidayiswayo namarisidi amafemu ezimoto kumelela ingxenye engaphezu kweyodwa kwezinhlanu zamabhizinisi amakhulu kulelizwe nengxenye engaphezu kweyodwa kwezine yezokuhweba. Kwamanye amazwe lezi zilinganiso zincane ngandlela-thile, kodwa eJapane nasemazweni asentshonalanga Yurophu ziphokophele ezingeni lase-United States.”
Noma kunjalo, abanye abantu bathi izwe elingenazo izimoto belingaba indawo engcono. Lokhu bakusho ngokuyinhloko ngenxa yezizathu ezimbili.
Ukuminyana Kwezimoto Emhlabeni Wonke
Uma wake wajikeleza isikhathi eside ufuna indawo yokupaka, wazi kahle ukuthi ngisho noma izimoto zinenzuzo, ukuminyana kwazo endaweni eyodwa akuyona inzuzo. Noma uma wake waba sesiminyaminyeni sezimoto esesabekayo, uyazi ukuthi kukhungathekisa kangakanani ukuvaleleka emotweni eklanyelwe ukuhamba kodwa esiphoqeleke ukuba ime ngqí.
Ngo-1950, kwakuse-United States kuphela lapho kwakunomuntu oyedwa kwabane owayenemoto. Ngo-1974, amazwe aseBelgium, eFrance, eGreat Britain, e-Italy, eJalimane, eNetherlands, naseSweden ayesefinyelele kulelo zinga. Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi isibalo sase-United States sase senyuke saba cishe umuntu oyedwa kwababili onemoto. Manje eJalimane naseLuxembourg cishe isakhamuzi esisodwa kwezimbili esinemoto. EBelgium, eFrance, eGreat Britain, e-Italy, naseNetherlands kunezinga elicishe lifane.
Amadolobha amaningi amakhulu—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi akuphi emhlabeni—aphenduka izindawo ezinkulu zokupaka izimoto. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho iNdiya izimela ngo-1947, iNew Delhi, inhloko-dolobha yayo, yayinezimoto namaloli angu-11 000. Ngo-1993 lesi sibalo sase singaphezu kuka-2200 000! Ukwanda okukhulu—kodwa ngokukamagazini i-Time “isibalo okulindeleke ukuba siphindeke kabili ekupheleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka.”
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, eMpumalanga Yurophu, lapho kunabantu abangaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine abanezimoto kunaseNtshonalanga Yurophu, kunabantu abangase bathenge izimoto abangaba izigidi ezingu-400. Phakathi neminyaka embalwa, isimo saseChina, eyaziwa ngokuba namabhayisikili ayizigidi ezingu-400 kuze kube manje, siyobe sesishintshile. Njengoba kwabikwa ngo-1994, “uhulumeni uhlongoza amasu okwandisa ngokushesha ukukhiqizwa kwezimoto,” kusuka ezimotweni eziyizigidi ezingu-1,3 ngonyaka kuya ezigidini ezintathu ekupheleni kwaleli khulu leminyaka.
Usongo Lokungcola
“IBrithani ayisenawo umoya ohlanzekile,” kusho i-Daily Telegraph ka-October 28, 1994. Mhlawumbe lokhu kuyihaba kodwa kubangela ukukhathazeka. Uprofesa Stuart Penkett, wase-University of East Anglia, waxwayisa: “Izimoto zishintsha sonke isimiso somoya wethu oyisisekelo.”
Incwadi ethi 5000 Days to Save the Planet ithi inqwaba yokungcola okubangelwa i-carbon monoxide “inciphisa umoya-mpilo emzimbeni, ikhubaza ukuqonda nokucabanga, inciphisa ukushesha komzimba futhi ibangela ukozela.” Futhi i-World Health Organization ithi: “Cishe ingxenye yabo bonke abantu abahlala emadolobheni eYurophu naseNyakatho Melika ichayeke emazingeni aphakeme kakhulu e-carbon monoxide.”
Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kwezinye izindawo, intuthu yezimoto ibulala abantu abaningi—futhi yenza umonakalo wezigidi zezinkulungwane zamaRandi endaweni ezungezile. Ngo-July 1995 umbiko othile wezindaba zethelevishini wathi kufa abantu baseBrithani abangaba ngu-11 000 minyaka yonke ngenxa yokungcola komoya okubangelwa izimoto.
Ngo-1995 kwaqhutshwa i-United Nations Climate Conference eBerlin. Abameleli bamazwe angu-116 bavuma ukuthi kumelwe kwenziwe okuthile. Kodwa abaningi badunyazwa ukuhlehliswa komsebenzi wokwamukela imigomo ethile nokumisa imithetho ewujuqu noma ukuhlela izinhlelo ezikhethekile.
Uma kucatshangelwa lokho okwashiwo incwadi ethi 5000 Days to Save the Planet emuva ngo-1990, lokhu kuntuleka kwentuthuko ngokunokwenzeka kwakulindelekile. Yaphawula: “Isimo samandla ezombangazwe nawezomnotho emphakathini wezezimboni wanamuhla sibonisa ukuthi izinyathelo zokulwa nokubhujiswa kwendawo ezungezile zamukeleka kuphela uma zingagxambukeli ekusebenzeni kwezomnotho.”
Ngakho, muva nje i-Time ixwayise ngokuthi “ukunqwabelana kwesikhutha namanye amagesi abangela ukufudumala emkhathini kungenzeka kancane kancane kufudumeze imbulunga yonke. Ngokososayensi abaningi, umphumela ungaba isomiso, ukuncibilika kwezinguzunga zeqhwa, ukwenyuka kwamazinga olwandle, ukudla izindwani kwezingu, izimvula ezinezivunguvungu ezinkulu nezinye izinhlekelele zesimo sezulu.”
Ukungathi sína kwenkinga yokungcola kuphoqelela ukuba kwenziwe okuthile. Kodwa kuyini?