Interesting motoring section in this weeks Saturday telegraph, interesting to see the Transport Research Group Director not towing the government line.
Gatso's are nonsense
But so is the wider way the roads are policed
We should not just be knocking the government?s crazy way of running the transport system, we should also start listing some of the obvious positive suggestions to make things better
For instance (off the top of my head)
- less bans, more retraining, retests, e.g. court tells you to take X hours of driver training in the next 2 months and pass a retest in the next 4 months - is much more likely to improve the driver than a ban
- start attacking really dangerous behaviour (e.g. double parking outside schools, parking on crossing zig zags (unless there?s a bus stop there - ARE YOU LISTENING READING COUNCIL?), get the one inch from the car in front of them idiots in court, prosecute each and every time somebody rear ends another vehicle, prosecute each and every time somebody pulls out into the path of a motorcycle ("I didn't see him" is not a good enough excuse), massively improve police driver training, stop police vans from being allowed to chase offenders etc etc
Also the way the mandarins running town planning/road depts up and down the land are filling the land with speed bumps and ever-thinner roads, is absolutely not helping road safety. We need good alternative suggestions (like hey police lock up the real hard nut joy riders than cause mass frustration)?
Etc
There should also be a distinction between, going out in the morning knowing full well you are breaking the rules (e.g. Car obviously unroadworthy etc, Mot out of date, or no insurance etc), and a momentary bad decision. The first of these two is far and away the worst in my opinion.
The political desire to cut down on car use should not be led by negative ?turn the drivers into criminals and take their licence away and price them out of driving?, it should be based on positive ideas that improve the country, such as where possible better alternatives. If for instance there was better security at train station/park and ride etc car parks (such as security patrols) ? then drivers may feel more inclined to leave there cars there. This really isn?t rocket science is it ?
|
His Lordship has asked me to mention that you may be confusing the government's Transport Road Laboratory with the pro-motorist Transport Research Group. Otherwise he says he concurs with all you say.
That is, of course, if making such a political statement is acceptable on a non-political forum.
|
|
Ah! Implying that the Transport Road Laboratory is anti-motorist?
|
|
|
|
I would like to emphasize the secure parking at stations problem.
Due to the odd hours that I work, bus connections from the station home can require a half hour wait for a bus to take a fifteen minute ride, so 45 minutes total to do three miles.
On the handful (literally) of occasions when I have tried using the motorbike to the station, it has had the top-box broken into and my helmet and gloves stolen (no helmet, no ride as it's illegal) on one occasion and the whole bike stolen on another. On that occasion it was found parked neatly at another railway station 20 miles away. The thief obviously was not prepared to take the train either.
Since then I have used the bike for the whole journey!
|
You've finally seen the light like so many others and have started to use you motrocycle to commute.
If only we could pursuade more people of the benefits of this.
Make sure you keep your wits about you though, as commuting on a bike can be a very hazardous experience!
|
|
I was actually referring to what happened 7 years and 100,000 miles ago. 80 miles per day, £1,500 per annum as opposed to £3,000 by bus and train.
|
|
|
|
"Ah! Implying that the Transport Road Laboratory is anti-motorist?"
I checked with his lordship and he says it's strictly impartial.
And that is why the government never publicises its anti-government findings.
Strangely it never seems to publicise any of its findings.
|
|
|
Well I know I'm just an old fart, but I thought the motoring supp this week was just overt rabble rousing - merely an extension of Mike Rutherford's weekly bit, which can be relied on for some weekend chagrin.
All so different from our own dear HJ.
|
|
|
Dear me, I'd completely forgotten:
His L'ship keeps muttering something about his column seeming to be getting mellow in its old age and wanting to know if the editors had been forgetting their place while he's been away?
The butler used to have to iron the paper with HJ open to the front, now it's some mouthy motorist chap who doesn't seem to know his place either. We might start taking the Times again if this carries on.
|
yes the HJ bit is still the best
wotshisname the socalleddrivingexpert could do with a talking to over a pint, some of the stuff he writes...
|
|
|
|
The only difference between me and Mike Rutherford is house styles. Being a Murdoch man, he always refers to a company as a plural. Having heen hauled over the coals for this, and having got an A in A level English, I always try to refer to a company as a singular. Apart from that, all credit to Mike, He's making a fuss about stupidity and injustice and rightly so.
HJ
|
|
|
|
We all know about the inequities, HJ, but the trouble is that whingeing on week after week about everything is just a total turn off. Whilst blasting off in all directions might make MR feel better it doesn't really make for results. But carefully directed and concentrated fire might actually achieve something (well known military maxim).
|
|
I wonder, has Bogush sold his sticky keyboard to Fred ?
|
wasnt me, i was being impersonated...
who cares?
not me
|
|
|
|
Fred,
totally agree with you.
Brian,
How is the 200 going?
Confused about the Saturday Telegraph section having so much good motorcyle reporting and then finding the next day the Sunday Telegraph having a really good go against motorcycling. Different editors I suppose but in the last month or so the ST has had to full page anti spreads.
Bill
|
|
|
Bill
The 250 (233) is going OK, but is in for a new front tyre and pads at the moment.
|
|
|
