EVERY CITY IN THE UK TO BE MADE A TRAFFIC HELL LIKE LONDON
Grant Shapps today announced £2 billion to supposedly enhance walking and cycling (1), but when he expounded the detail it was clear that this amounted to yet more gridlock and bullying for motorists of the type we have unfortunately got used to in London (2).
Pavements will be widened, cycle lanes introduced, roads will be closed – yet Shapps had the effrontery to suggest that a 5% increase in cycling would benefit motorists by reducing congestion. Not if there are 50% less roads, it won’t, Grant. Do the maths.
And while drivers are bullied with ridiculous speed limits, an expansion of electric scooters is simultaneously mooted – devices capable of breaking urban speed limits but which have no effective braking, crash protection or licensing requirements. This shows that road safety is a sham – just an excuse to make driving unpleasant and stressful and so discourage it.
The result is that getting about in any motor vehicle – car, delivery van, tradesman, taxi – in our cities is going to become a total 24/7 nightmare in every city in the UK.
The excuse for this was Coronavirus, but it’s clear that these disgraceful measures will be permanent. Talk about taking advantage of a crisis to reduce people’s freedom. The day after VE Day and we’ve already forgotten why we fought World War 2.
Notes for Editors
(1) £2 billion package to create new era for walking and cycling:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2-billion-package-to-create-new-era-for-cycling-and-walking
(2) How London got rid of private cars – and grew more congested than ever:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/11/how-london-got-rid-of-private-cars-and-grew-more-congested-than-ever
It is the time to help Londoners/ the country to convert to hybrid vehicles… With the two billion it would be a start to give grants tax breaks to business especially sole traders. As this it tends to begin with Ltd companies.
The present mayor needs to be brought to heel… as he cannot keep losing londoners hard earned tax revenue budgets need to be adhered to otherwise government takes over the funding.
This is attacking the very people who make London tick… Whilst there are at their most vulnerable. Outrageous!!!
Have emailed my MP about extra provision for cyclists and reduced road space in cities – pointing out that public transport is being shunned and its capacity reduced for social distancing – so get on the bike BUT weather, terrain & distance may be against this, leaving only the car – so should be increasing road & parking provision for motor transport. Also asking how the weekly shop is carried on a bike, how a business person can carry documents & samples to different client locations, arriving dry & smart. How many people will want to go to work on a bike in the depth of winter – not many I guess. Have condemned a totally misguided policy of coercion against the motorist, completely unacceptable in a democratic country. Awaiting a reply from MP! (Peter Horton – ABD member)
Have received a reply from Grant Shapps via my MP but, as we say in Yorkshire, it talks a lot but it says nowt. Basically it just parrots all the nonsense we have heard before. I cannot believe how these politicians get elected by real people!