IT is a wonderful dream. Fast forward a few years, and York has been reclaimed from the grip of the car. Families stroll along its ancient thoroughfares without being menaced by the motorist. Tourists sip cappuccinos at street cafs. Everyone breathes in pure, unpolluted air.

This idyllic vision was brought to you by the city council. And it is one that we would all love to see happen.

Unfortunately, we live in the real world and that world is dominated by the motor car. To move our city from a traffic-choked present into a traffic-free future will take years of planning and huge investment.

No one should doubt the council's achievements in limiting York congestion. Park and Ride and the cycle network are two real success stories.

But now the council has got ahead of itself, by undertaking a sustained reduction of car parking spaces.

This is not the time for such a programme. It is unfair and impractical to punish motorists without offering them a genuine alternative.

If you live a few miles out of town, have a car, do not have young children with pushchairs and other paraphernalia, and do not plan to make bulky purchases, Park and Ride is a very good option.

Even for these passengers it is not ideal. More buses are needed to cut waiting times and make the service approach the convenience of the private car.

That leaves a lot of people who still have every reason to bring their car into York. These are tourists and residents who want to spend time and money in the city.

Few people will be persuaded by a lack of parking to switch to unreliable public transport. Instead, they will go elsewhere. That is the last thing York's retail heart needs.

One day, we might enjoy the sort of shuttle bus service which makes travelling around York as straightforward as hopping on a London Tube train. Only then should we consider closing car parks on the city outskirts.

Updated: 10:41 Tuesday, May 21, 2002