The 2014 Car Dependency Scorecard - produced by the Campaign for Better Transport - has been unveiled, naming the easiest and hardest towns and cities to get around without a car.

The scorecard looks at 29 UK towns and cities, ranking them on four criteria: planning and accessibility, the quality and usage levels of rail and bus services, car use, and the popularity of walking and cycling as alternative transport.

In first place came London, followed by other major cities including Manchester and Liverpool. In contrast, cities established or expanded during the 1960s and 70s fared badly. The worst transport was found in Peterborough, with Colchester and Milton Keynes completing the bottom three.

Even Peterborough city councillor Mark Speed had to concede: “Peterborough was built at a time when car was seen as the most desirable mode of transport.“

However, there are potential avenues for improvement suggested by the Campaign for Better Transport. It said that cities hoping to improve their scores should look to London and its devolved transport system for inspiration, as “control of its transport policy offers lessons for other cities and policy-makers keen to reduce car dependency".