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Traffic and Transport
Local Issues"In the U.K., car travel is the single biggest contributor to our CO2 emissions!"
The above is a quote from an official government TV advert. This being the case, one has to wonder why it is that authorities up and down the country are using considerable amounts of public money to implement traffic schemes that are less efficient than what was originally there. Such traffic schemes cause more congestion, force traffic to stop and start unnecessarily, and prevent traffic from directly going where it wants to go by forcing it considerably out of its way.
What's it all about? Well, there are many theories, from the conspiracy theory, that authorities are deliberately trying to make it so damned difficult to get about in your car, that you just won't bother, or you'll get the bus, to idiots who just don't have a clue what they're doing and are so beyond reproach that they can cock-up things up time and time again, waste thousands of pounds, and the public will just pay for it without a quibble, because that's the way it is.
Whatever the case, one thing that you can say is that it's not good and most people don't like it! They pay their taxes and see the money wasted on things that make their lives more difficult, sometimes impossible, and that they simply don't want, whilst the same authorities cut back on things that the people do want and need because they say they haven't got the money. I wonder why!
The people in authority, who supposedly work on our behalf, cost each of us and the country millions of pounds every year in additional wasted time, vehicle wear and tear, and fuel. They are also helping to wreck the planet more expediently by unnecessarily increasing everybody's carbon footprint! And they actually think they know what they're doing!
How The Authorities Have Compounded Traffic Problems
Local authorities have obliviously, and sometimes even deliberately, it seems, created many of the traffic problems we see on our roads today. The reason we cannot go about our business expediently and efficiently is simply due to bad management.
Consideration For The Motorist
It is very apparent to many people that the local authorities are not giving the motorist the consideration they should.
Congestion - Who's Responsible?
You will often hear the authorities saying that the problems of congestion are due to the fact that there are too many cars on the road. But are the authorities making matters worse with their policies and strategies? What exactly are the facts?
Current Traffic Calming Policy
What's wrong with it? Read the facts.
Local Authorities Acting Irresponsibly
With local authorities promoting so many negative factors with their choice of traffic scheme and so many people unhappy about it, it is surely somewhat irresponsible of them when there are far less problematic, far better, solutions on offer?
Bus Lanes
Bus lanes are a bad idea and cause congestion problems. Read why!
Bus Or Car?
Can buses ever outweigh the benefits of using one's own personal transport in the form of the motorcar?
Congestion Charging
A corrupt and unfair system. Read the reasons why!
The Creeping Kerbstone
What is going on? Calling for the eradication and removal of appendages and obstacles that force traffic to stop unnecessarily, when the only necessary objective, if there is one, is to slow traffic down.
Car Park Top Up Ticketing
There have been too many instances of local councils fining people for topping up their car park tickets. People try and do the decent thing and then get penalised. What's it all about? Read the link.
Covert Cameras And Exploitative Speed Trapping
Many perfectly safe drivers with previously unblemished histories, have been penalized in recent years, even though they have not been driving dangerously. The reason? Sneaky covert cameras, often mobile, in inappropriate and unnecessary locations. Nobody disagrees with the objective of clearly marked, and signposted, speed cameras in accident black spots, however, for the authorities to exploit the principle for the purpose of making money from motorists who are not driving dangerously is simply corrupt.
Junction Interfaces
Analysing the effects of unintelligent controlled traffic
signalling systems as opposed to driver initiative schemes such as roundabouts
and slow and go junctions. Emphasising the need to make traffic schemes as efficient
as possible and recognising the fact that if you can shorten every half hour journey
by ten minutes you will instantly have a third less traffic on the road at any
one time.
Roundabouts v Traffic Lights
Recognising the fact that roundabouts
are generally more efficient than traffic lights and calling for the institution
of more roundabouts and driver initiative schemes, with independent pedestrian
crossing, as opposed to regimented, unintelligent fixed lighting control schemes
with integrated pedestrian crossing.
Accident Clearance Action Policy
We know the police have
an important job to do when there is an accident on the motorway or similar. However,
many other people also have important jobs to do. Many people also have appointments
to meet and children to pick up as well as homes to go to. In other words, when
roads are closed off for hours on end as the result of an accident, literally
thousands of people are greatly inconvenienced. It should be considered vital,
therefore, to clear the scene of an accident enough to get traffic moving again
as quickly as possible and we would like to see the relevant authorities putting
considerable emphasis on achieving this objective.
Parking
Looking at the problems caused by the
lack of docking facilities with regard to local shops and amenities, and the lack
of suitable docking facilities with schools, so allowing parents to drop off and
pick up their children with ease. Campaigning for more parking, easier parking, free parking and less parking restrictions, such as yellow lines. Campaigning also for the automatic right for people to park outside their own house and for the local authorities to drop the ridiculous and annoying attitude that it is not their responsibility to provide enough parking and that if you choose to have a car you should be parking in your garden. Well, not everybody is that privileged. Oh, and by the way, who is it that paints all the yellow lines everywhere?
Pavement Parking
Looking at the problems instituted by the poorly thought out footway parking ban and campaigning for a revised and more practical formula.
Personal Transport
Campaigning for the rights of
people to use personal transport efficiently and effectively. Recognising the
absolutely vital need for people to be able to use personal transport to meet the demands and requirements of today's modern lifestyle and acknowledging the fact that one could not possibly manage one's affairs and requirements by relying on public transport alone.
Public Transport
One cannot currently even rely on trains for a late night out because they stop running. We would like to see more late night trains and even trains running throughout the night between London and the suburbs, perhaps one an hour. We would also like to see the reinstatement of conductors on buses so that there is less likelihood of passengers being intimidated and more help on hand if trouble occurs. Also, with conductors taking fares on the move the bus can be on its way more quickly and will not therefore be holding the traffic up any longer than necessary. This used to be affordable. Why isn't it now?
Traffic Calming
The consensus of public opinion is in favour
of clearly marked 'non-exploitative' speed cameras in places where necessary as opposed to humps, bumps and kerbstone appendages. There are many disadvantages to the
types of scheme currently being implemented by the local authorities. Many people are
not in favour of their methods and we are actively campaigning for a more sensible and up-to-date approach to curtailing the speed of the minority speeding motorist.
Open Up Congestion Overflow Routes
In some instances local
authorities have restricted access to and closed roads against the grain of
commonsense. We would like to see these changes reversed and such roads opened
up again so as to allow vehicles to spread out, and when necessary, use certain
back roads and short cuts that many local authorities have disabled access to,
and so enable a reduction in congestion and travelling times. It makes sense
to get people where they need to be as quickly and efficiently as possible and
then they're are off the road. If we can shorten everyone's half hour journey
by ten minutes we will instantly have a third less traffic on the road.
Pedestrian Crossing
A call to institute modernised pedestrian crossings with the emphasis on driver and pedestrian initiative, and better still, a modernised and clearly indicated form of Zebra Crossing, which again, is far more efficient for both pedestrian and the motorist. You won't see a pedestrian having to wait in the rain at a Zebra Crossing, cars will stop to let you across just like that! But, with a pelican Crossing, if the lights are green, the traffic keeps moving and the pedestrian waits even if it is raining. Also, it will rid the motorist of the problem of having to stop at a crossing when no one is waiting because the person has pressed the button and already crossed.
Abolish Traffic Wardens
A suggestion to abolish traffic wardens (too many of whom are sneaky, petty and over zealous), in favour of putting more policemen on the beat.
Bus Lane Cameras And Motorcycles
Motorcyclists are currently being penalised in the form of a £50.00 fine, if they are caught on camera using the bus lanes. This is a ludicrous situation and, along with many other aspects of today's inept traffic management policies, makes no sense at all. Motorcyclists should not be being penalised for using bus lanes, they do not get in the way of the buses and do not hold anyone up. It is also safer for the motorcyclist, who, let's face it, is not very well protected compared to a car driver.
Footways For Cyclists And Pedestrians
It is much safer for
cyclists to use pavements than roads and in many instances it can be seen to make
much more sense for cyclists and pedestrians to share pavements. Many pavements
all over the country are completely devoid of pedestrians for the majority of
the time. In instances such as these, at least, it would make sense for cyclists
and pedestrians to sensibly share the allocated resource. The protocol would be (as for motor vehicles on the road),
for cyclists to observe sensible speed limits, stopping distances, and give priority
to pedestrians.
Toll Roads
As with congestion charging, this kind of scheme
is unfair and a corrupt system because it favours the rich and penalizes the poor.
Also, people already pay massive amounts of road tax and fuel tax, we should not
really be squeezed for additional money to pay for what we are already paying
for, in the provision and upkeep of our roads. It makes you wonder if the local
authorities have cottoned on to the idea that if they cause congestion deliberately
with inefficient traffic schemes they can then make more money by charging everybody
for the privilege of getting about.
Abolish Road Tax
Many people feel that it is way past time that the Government abolished the road tax system and put the levy on petrol instead. This means that the more you use the roads the more you pay. The bigger the vehicle you drive the more you pay. The more gas guzzling you do and the more pollution you cause, the more you pay. Fair?