Why is this country so Anti Car?! (rant)
- Thread starter rtho782
- Start date
We have plenty of shockingly badly maintained roads as well. We also have rabid local councils who liberally scatter speed bumps around cities, remove parking spaces and car access to cities, reduce speed limits for no good reason, add 24 hour bus lanes when buses don't run for 24 hours etc..etc..
Even the central government have accused local government of anti-car agendas.
Even the central government have accused local government of anti-car agendas.
Even as a car enthusiast, I'd personally make town and city centers much less car friendly if I had my way. More pedestrianisation, more cycle lanes, 2+ lanes, congestion charge, (electric) bus lanes etc. I'm all for getting traffic out of town centers and making them nicer places to be.
I'd also ban the school run and get kids walking and cycling to school again (which they would be able to do with less traffic)
When Harrogate hosted the Tour De France in July we had the whole town sealed off to cars, and it was bloody lovely!
I'd also ban the school run and get kids walking and cycling to school again (which they would be able to do with less traffic)
When Harrogate hosted the Tour De France in July we had the whole town sealed off to cars, and it was bloody lovely!
Soldato
- Joined
- 12 May 2011
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- Southampton
Well you need some new routes for the Poo Bus I guess?
More seriously... Predict and Provide.
In the UK historic transport policy was to predicted long term car growth and provided the infrastructure to support it. We found that new roads would initially alleviate congestion, but these 'rapidly' got congested too, because of the nature of car use- car use (as in mileage, not necessarily number of trips) will fill up whatever road network there is if there is a net deficit in highway capacity. It doesn't really work, we have to lower car growth instead of cater for it, we don't have the land space. Hence the managed motorways of today rather than extra lanes.
Bristol seem to be trying to 'pull' people out of their cars by making the generalised cost of getting the bus (convenience, stress, time, reliability) lower, whilst also making the GC of private vehicle travel greater.
in my Transport Planner opinion, the only way to make public transport more popular (or rather, used more) is to force people out of there cars- no one wants to get the bus voluntarily. You can have as many soft measures like work place travel plans and things to 'encourge' bus use as you like, but ******** to that, money, laziness and convenience are the big three reasons why people get the car and those have to be removed to make the relative attractiveness of buses increase.
More seriously... Predict and Provide.
In the UK historic transport policy was to predicted long term car growth and provided the infrastructure to support it. We found that new roads would initially alleviate congestion, but these 'rapidly' got congested too, because of the nature of car use- car use (as in mileage, not necessarily number of trips) will fill up whatever road network there is if there is a net deficit in highway capacity. It doesn't really work, we have to lower car growth instead of cater for it, we don't have the land space. Hence the managed motorways of today rather than extra lanes.
Bristol seem to be trying to 'pull' people out of their cars by making the generalised cost of getting the bus (convenience, stress, time, reliability) lower, whilst also making the GC of private vehicle travel greater.
in my Transport Planner opinion, the only way to make public transport more popular (or rather, used more) is to force people out of there cars- no one wants to get the bus voluntarily. You can have as many soft measures like work place travel plans and things to 'encourge' bus use as you like, but ******** to that, money, laziness and convenience are the big three reasons why people get the car and those have to be removed to make the relative attractiveness of buses increase.
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This country isn't anti-car. It's very pro-car, but with a constant feeling of guilt for being that way. The guilt manifests itself in random cycle lanes to nowhere and stupid traffic systems that give meagre concessions to an ill thought out public transport system.
If this country was truly anti-car, or even pro-public transport, a few bus lanes in Bristol would be the least of your grievances.
If this country was truly anti-car, or even pro-public transport, a few bus lanes in Bristol would be the least of your grievances.
I hate these threads. Started by people who have probably never driven abroad, experienced other roads or traffic restrictions, let alone spoke to people in other countries about car ownership and associates costs.
Our 'keeping up with the Jones' attitude and aged number plates also means seconds hand car prices are some of the lowest in the world
Our 'keeping up with the Jones' attitude and aged number plates also means seconds hand car prices are some of the lowest in the world
Soldato
- Joined
- 3 Jun 2005
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- 5,365
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- West Sussex
I feel the country may seem to be becoming anti-car.
Why do I feel it (just personal observations)
Congestion charging
Expensive parking, lack of organisation and infrastructure.
Expensive fuel
Speed cameras in areas of revenue not safety
Penalizing car choice through taxation, twice (not just fuel)
Parking wardens paid on commission/performance
Poorly maintained roads considering revenue collected (we are not Greece/Spain)
Rarely used bus lanes and cycle lanes placed in high congestion areas
New housing not being given permission for garages, car ports or off road parking
Although you may not feel we are anti-car the car owner is taxed highly but is having more and more rights chiselled away. The above are just a few.
The UK motorist has become a cash cow, not just in upfront taxes which many rightfully say have not really increased. It is the other restrictions and changes that are making motoring more and more unpleasant.
I have been driving 23 years and to think that motoring is not less pleasant now is ridiculous. For better or for worse we could overstay a car park by 10 minutes unless the warden caught us, we could drive through London during the week and not get charged (drove to work some days), I could have a garage on my new house, I could build a driveway, I paid the same in tax for a 3.0 Alfa in tax as a 800cc Panda.
The few cycle lanes and paths remained unused as they largely do today. We could make a mistake or break the speed limit in the middle of nowhere without the worry of a fine arriving on the doormat 14 days later.
Just personal but I know when I preferred driving. Cars where not as good but at least you could enjoy them.
Why do I feel it (just personal observations)
Congestion charging
Expensive parking, lack of organisation and infrastructure.
Expensive fuel
Speed cameras in areas of revenue not safety
Penalizing car choice through taxation, twice (not just fuel)
Parking wardens paid on commission/performance
Poorly maintained roads considering revenue collected (we are not Greece/Spain)
Rarely used bus lanes and cycle lanes placed in high congestion areas
New housing not being given permission for garages, car ports or off road parking
Although you may not feel we are anti-car the car owner is taxed highly but is having more and more rights chiselled away. The above are just a few.
The UK motorist has become a cash cow, not just in upfront taxes which many rightfully say have not really increased. It is the other restrictions and changes that are making motoring more and more unpleasant.
I have been driving 23 years and to think that motoring is not less pleasant now is ridiculous. For better or for worse we could overstay a car park by 10 minutes unless the warden caught us, we could drive through London during the week and not get charged (drove to work some days), I could have a garage on my new house, I could build a driveway, I paid the same in tax for a 3.0 Alfa in tax as a 800cc Panda.
The few cycle lanes and paths remained unused as they largely do today. We could make a mistake or break the speed limit in the middle of nowhere without the worry of a fine arriving on the doormat 14 days later.
Just personal but I know when I preferred driving. Cars where not as good but at least you could enjoy them.
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 3,120
- Location
- Swindon, UK
Having worked in Bristol, commuting from Swindon, I used the M4,M32, 5 days a week. If you leave Swindon at 6.30am, you get to Bristol without delay for around 7.10am.
I parked in the Cabot Circus car park with a 4 minute walk to work. £80 ish a month for very good, secure parking.
I can afford to run 2 cars, 3.0v6, 2.3 HOT.
How is that Anti Car?
Lack of flexible working is the issue, pushing the majority out on the road at set times.
I parked in the Cabot Circus car park with a 4 minute walk to work. £80 ish a month for very good, secure parking.
I can afford to run 2 cars, 3.0v6, 2.3 HOT.
How is that Anti Car?
Lack of flexible working is the issue, pushing the majority out on the road at set times.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Jul 2005
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- 17,616
- Location
- Bristol
Well I must be 'no one' then as I prefer to use the buses in Bristol to using the car for commuting. It costs me £66pm for a bus ticket and I can use the buses as much as I like throughout that period. Driving to work would cost a lot more as I'd have to pay for parking (I work in central Bristol, no free parking), fuel, tyres etc. and would spend just as long in the car as I do on the bus as it's mostly the same route as the bus anyway.
The buses are still rubbish though, rush hour ones are always overcrowded and awfully timed. They keep putting in new routes but not actually addressing the busier routes by putting on more buses, not very helpful. They also advertise most of the routes (especially mine) as being every 10 mins, I tend to wait about 30+ mins in the evening for mine despite loads of others trundling past every 5-10 mins.