Knock! Knock! Who's there? No. It's not little devils and witches, ghosties and skeletons tricking or treating for Hallowe'en. No. It's not Jehovah's Witnesses. Travelling salesman? Nope. This is your own private and personal travel planner from the Department for Transport. And he/she comes with the nine/eleven most frightening words in the English language: “I'm from the Government. I'm here to help you.”

The Government's sustainable transport stra-tegy published today proposes sending personal transport advisers into every household. They will examine your travel requirements, and give you such advice as local bus routes, buying a bike, short cuts and rat runs for the pedestrian, and ITM — “individualised travel marketing” (car sharing to you). They have already conducted pilot schemes in Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester, with some success. Local car journeys are calculated to be down by about 11 per cent, and more people are using the buses. Many more are walking. Everything is within walking distance, provided that you have the time.

Advisers and ministers of state defend us. We must be welcoming to bureaucrats who come knocking on our doors to help us make a smarter choice with the daily Sturm und Vroom Vroom of the school run, the office scramble and the big shopping. We all want to reduce our carbon footprints, don't we? So let us not waste our hot breath arguing in defence of our little metal petrol-guzzlers on wheels. The Man from the Ministry probably does know best. But let us hope that he is keeping his own carbon footprint down by walking when he comes to knock on our door.