Transport
Posted: 03 Jul 2022, 09:46Or should I rather say, walking and cycling.
Because that's all the government (and local government) ever talk about, walking and cycling.
Honest to God, these people aren't on the same planet as the rest of us.
Local politicians around here are tying themselves in knots about dying city centres. In Wakefield they are talking about fostering "a cafe culture" (this in a city where every other shop is a cafe, a charity shop or a bookies) and the arts and culture.
They are talking about putting up a giant screen to show sporting events on, etc. (Leeds has one, you see). Someone has commented that it will give the smackheads and street drinkers who infest the middle of Wakey something to watch whilst they are slumped on the Cathedral steps.
Wakey councillors are also going to "improve" the Doncaster Road. Christ knows what horrors they will inflict on it. Because they are improving it for buses and cyclists.
Everything locally is being made as difficult as possible for motorists. Pedestrianisation, bike lanes, bus lanes, low emission zones, low traffic neighbourhoods and removal of parking spaces.
So at the same time as they are trying to get rid of the car from the city centre, they are wondering why city centres are dying? Yes, on line shopping has had a big impact.
But in small towns and cities you need the car. Public transport has been on strike for weeks (just went back yesterday) and cycling? Give me a break. People don't jump on their bikes as a family and go and spend money in Wakey. They don't walk there and spend money.
But it is what it is.
This week it has been announced that cycling czar Chris Boardman has been given a budget of two billion pounds to persuade us to leave our cars and buy a gent's tourer with a Sturmey Archer three speed. Two billion!!!
Typical of this government. If there's a problem, throw a cartload of money at it and don't bother thinking.
Boardman says we shouldn't be using cars for short journeys of a mile or less. That might be fine if you are young and fit or live where it's nice and flat. In our village the shops are three quarters of a mile uphill away. I'll go in the car. Having a second bad hip and arthritis in my spine makes walking a mile a toil of a pleasure.
For two billion you could buy 150,000+ of these and give them away free:-
https://maeving.com/
An electric motorcycle. No emissions, low top speed, low range but that doesn't matter because short journeys. Cities in Asia only work because half the population ride old Honda 50's instead of driving a car.
It makes a lot more sense than pretending that the pushbike is going to save the world, but I won't hold my breath.
Because that's all the government (and local government) ever talk about, walking and cycling.
Honest to God, these people aren't on the same planet as the rest of us.
Local politicians around here are tying themselves in knots about dying city centres. In Wakefield they are talking about fostering "a cafe culture" (this in a city where every other shop is a cafe, a charity shop or a bookies) and the arts and culture.
They are talking about putting up a giant screen to show sporting events on, etc. (Leeds has one, you see). Someone has commented that it will give the smackheads and street drinkers who infest the middle of Wakey something to watch whilst they are slumped on the Cathedral steps.
Wakey councillors are also going to "improve" the Doncaster Road. Christ knows what horrors they will inflict on it. Because they are improving it for buses and cyclists.
Everything locally is being made as difficult as possible for motorists. Pedestrianisation, bike lanes, bus lanes, low emission zones, low traffic neighbourhoods and removal of parking spaces.
So at the same time as they are trying to get rid of the car from the city centre, they are wondering why city centres are dying? Yes, on line shopping has had a big impact.
But in small towns and cities you need the car. Public transport has been on strike for weeks (just went back yesterday) and cycling? Give me a break. People don't jump on their bikes as a family and go and spend money in Wakey. They don't walk there and spend money.
But it is what it is.
This week it has been announced that cycling czar Chris Boardman has been given a budget of two billion pounds to persuade us to leave our cars and buy a gent's tourer with a Sturmey Archer three speed. Two billion!!!
Typical of this government. If there's a problem, throw a cartload of money at it and don't bother thinking.
Boardman says we shouldn't be using cars for short journeys of a mile or less. That might be fine if you are young and fit or live where it's nice and flat. In our village the shops are three quarters of a mile uphill away. I'll go in the car. Having a second bad hip and arthritis in my spine makes walking a mile a toil of a pleasure.
For two billion you could buy 150,000+ of these and give them away free:-
https://maeving.com/
An electric motorcycle. No emissions, low top speed, low range but that doesn't matter because short journeys. Cities in Asia only work because half the population ride old Honda 50's instead of driving a car.
It makes a lot more sense than pretending that the pushbike is going to save the world, but I won't hold my breath.
