Скачать или смотреть I ditched my car for a week.

Seven years ago, I received what I considered to be a ticket to freedom – my driving licence.

Twenty-three-year-old me was overjoyed. I no longer had to waste time waiting for a bus or rely on my partner or parents for a lift. I could hop into my car whenever I wanted and go wherever I pleased.

Now, I reach for my car keys for any trip, no matter how short. And I’m in the car on my own.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reported about our tiny island’s big traffic problem – and I’ve become part of it.

Despite the countless hours I’ve lost to traffic and the hundreds of euros I spend on my car every year, the idea of living without it had never crossed my mind.

So when the government announced plans to pay €25,000 to motorists to ditch their car for five years, I decided to carry out an experiment: going carless for a week.