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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
One of those "is expected to report" news stories:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6160877.stm "Motorists should be asked to pay to drive on the nation's road network"... "Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, are likely to receive strong backing." |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
Response to POHB:
One of those "is expected to report" news stories: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6160877.stm "Motorists should be asked to pay to drive on the nation's road network"... "Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, are likely to receive strong backing." Motorists paying to use the road, and cyclists being given more farcilities? Oh, that'll be nice. /irony An increase in tax on petrol has its disadvantages, but at least it would make it slightly more difficult for motorists to claim that cyclists are using something they've not paid for. -- Mark, UK "There was never a century nor a country that was short of experts who knew the Deity's mind and were willing to reveal it." |
#3
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
"POHB" wrote in message oups.com... One of those "is expected to report" news stories: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6160877.stm "Motorists should be asked to pay to drive on the nation's road network"... "Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, are likely to receive strong backing." I fundamentally oppose the road-charging bit. All that'll succeed in doing is increase congestion on narrow, winding roads that simply aren't designed to take large numbers of motorised vehicles. It'll also increase prejudice against cyclists with ever more "I've paid to use the road so ****-off cyclist out of my way. The UK already has a cycle network; it's called the roads that we have a *right* to use already. In the news on the subject there's also plans to build more roads - are they really intent on putting more tarmac over the entire country? What's needed is proper plans to get people out of cars with incentives as well as the heavy stick approach. That means huge investment in decent public transport and a wholesale shift in mindset to get force businesses out of the south-east so that the population pressure on house prices stops the growth in commuting long distances, and combines good quality public transport bus/rail at a low price so that people do have a *practical and attractive* alternative to the car. The increased cost should be put on fuel - so we pay for the number of miles we drive combined with choice of vehicle. The taxation system could be altered to rebate, say the haulage business, that way via reliefs. Historically it seems no government has the balls to invest heavily in practical public transport alternatives to private car use - as there's be howls of rage from the motoring lobby and the long-term benefits to all of us would be lost in the political lack of will in any direction other than that of doing what it takes to stay in power & stuff the future of the country as a whole. |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
"POHB" wrote in message oups.com... One of those "is expected to report" news stories: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6160877.stm "Motorists should be asked to pay to drive on the nation's road network"... "Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, are likely to receive strong backing." I am not a motorist - I don't have a licence but whilst I think that we need to reduce the number of cars on the road, I totally disagree with this Government's plans to extract more TAX out of people's earnings. Currently motorists pay a tax called the "Road Fund Licence" - the amount collected in this tax is spent by the government on whatever they want rather than the roads anyway. So to charge people even more is wrong. More does need to be spent on cycle networks and public transport but it will not happen with transport being in private hands - it is all about profit rather than service. I understand that rail fares are rising again - what a way to encourage new passengers and retain old ones. What is needed is a sustainable and co-ordinated transport system like some foreign counties appear to have. I was in Switzerland in 2005 and I travelled on a few trains - when I booked my ticket I was given a print out which told me where to catch my train - the station, the platform number and the train number. It told me where to change and the same info again. It worked a treat and all the trains ran to the minute, no excuses for leaves, wet tracks etc. I was even told by people there that it still works in the winter where the snow gets quite bad. Dave |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
Mark McNeill wrote on 01/12/2006 09:17 +0100:
Motorists paying to use the road, and cyclists being given more farcilities? Oh, that'll be nice. /irony Here's a radical solution. Do a swap. Make the "motorist" facilities exclusive for non-motorised users and public transport and make the cycle facilities the mandatory and only facilities for motorists ;-) -- Tony "...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate..." Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
#6
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
"Dave" wrote in message . uk... Currently motorists pay a tax called the "Road Fund Licence" - the amount collected in this tax is spent by the government on whatever they want rather than the roads anyway. No, in we pay "Vehicle Excise Duty" :-) |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
Response to Tony Raven:
Here's a radical solution. Do a swap. Make the "motorist" facilities exclusive for non-motorised users and public transport and make the cycle facilities the mandatory and only facilities for motorists ;-) Mmmmmmmmmmm... "Motorists Get Out And Push." :-D -- Mark, UK "The government is merely a servant - merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't." |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
wafflycat wrote: snip and a wholesale shift in mindset to get force businesses out of the south-east so that the population pressure on house prices stops the growth in commuting long distances To a large extent they don't even need to do this. All that is required is to (slowly) make it compulsory for firms to allow people to work from home if they are able to. I say slowly because a sudden blanket change is likely to cause as much chaos as congestion - but if it started with one day per week, with employers able to phase it in across their staff and then slowly increase the minimum number of days offered then it would make a huge difference. And then once people and businesses are used to tele-commuting the pressure for businesses to locate in the southeast because that is where the workers are will reduce. Tim. |
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
On Fri, 1 Dec 2006 09:19:39 -0000 someone who may be "wafflycat"
wrote this:- I fundamentally oppose the road-charging bit. All that'll succeed in doing is increase congestion on narrow, winding roads that simply aren't designed to take large numbers of motorised vehicles. If congestion does increase then the cost of using them will go up, deterring people from doing so. It'll also increase prejudice against cyclists with ever more "I've paid to use the road so ****-off cyclist out of my way. Possibly. However, I think people with such attitudes simply latch onto something they think confirms their attitude. I'm not convinced things external to them affect the attitude much, they just use a different excuse. The UK already has a cycle network; it's called the roads that we have a *right* to use already. AOL. -- David Hansen, Edinburgh I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54 |
#10
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Charge drivers and expand the cycle network
wafflycat said the following on 01/12/2006 09:19:
What's needed is proper plans to get people out of cars with incentives as well as the heavy stick approach. Have you read the latest CTC magazine? There is a brief article about cycle-friendly towns. Needless to say, these aren't in the UK. Also a good article about a family cycle-touring in Holland, and the eye-opening attitudes of the Dutch towards cyclists compared to the hostile bus driver they encountered immediately on their return to the UK. That means huge investment in decent public transport and a wholesale shift in mindset to get force businesses out of the south-east Just don't send them South-West :-) and combines good quality public transport bus/rail at a low price so that people do have a *practical and attractive* alternative to the car. I'm thinking about going to the NEC on Sunday, from Weston-super-Mare. Whoops! No local trains - just a substitute bus service into Bristol. Minimum overall journey time 4.25 hours. Each way. But only if I want to leave on Saturday evening or arrive so late on Sunday it's not worth going. If you don't believe that, go and check on the National Rail Enquiries website for Weston-super-Mare (WSM) to Birmingham International (BHI)for 3rd December for arrival around 11am and departure around 4pm (and check the WSM departure *date* offered. So if I want to go, I have no choice but to drive. The return journey will be around 9% of my total annual mileage. I would like to be able to give up my car, but without a public transport network I would be very loath to do that. lost in the political lack of will in any direction other than that of doing what it takes to stay in power & stuff the future of the country as a whole. ....and that seems to sum up any of the parties attitudes - what do we need to do to get/stay in power? The right question that is never asked is "We're in power - what can we do to make a difference?" I'm talking about government in general, not any one specific party. -- Paul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ |
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