More speed please

I dont care much for politics but this gets my vote. Who does less then 80 on the motorway anyway? And the bus lane is such a dumb idea only a chimp with a stutter could have come up with it


Tories pledge 80mph speed limit
By David Williams, Motoring Editor, Evening Standard
1 July 2003
Motorway speed limits will go up to 80mph and the controversial M4 bus lane will be abolished if the Tories win the next general election.

The pledges will be announced by shadow transport secretary Tim Collins this month when the Conservatives unveil their transport agenda, stating they will be "the party of the motorist".

Mr Collins today attacked the M4 bus lane, introducedin June 1999 by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, as "a nonsense generating congestion". He is pledging that the Tories - who have already opposed congestion charging - will end what they describe as a "political war" against motorists and scrap "schemes that deter car use", including unnecessary road humps and road tolls.

Well, there are two sides to this argument.

The faster you go the more fuel you use. i.e. To go 100 miles, you use more fuel going 80 miles an hour than you do 30 miles an hour. Congestion charges put people off using cars.

These two points suggest that the governments policy promotes an environmental agenda. I don't think so. There is no evidence that polution or car usage has decreased in recent years. Nor is there any that it is likely to decrease. Simply that people don't waste their time visiting London any more, as getting a train is a stupid idea too.

Strange how all the political posts here so far have something to do with the Conservative party... maybe they are more of an effective opposition after all and are just good at not showing it!

--Matt

Nah, if they were an effcetive opposition, then they'd be doing some opposing.
The whole M4 buslane was a dumb and crazy idea, and the majority of viewpoints were saying so before it was even installed (why do they still go ahead with these things, why?) but is encouraging car use actually that good an idea? The petrol strike back in whenever-it-was was a fiasco, but showed how poorly the country copes when car travel is interrupted- it's all very well saying that by the time 'petrol runs out' or oil isn't a viable fuel source we'll have something else in place, but perhaps its time people started getting started on doing just that. The problem is that anti-car/alternative policies are political suicide... and this is the principal problem I have with politics-the parties are out for the opwer not for what's best for the country. Is it me, or is that a major failing of the system...?

The system is not the establishment or the media, it is human nature.

You have two, three or may be more parties. One is in power. Those not in power have to hold the government to account and therefore challenge them on every pinickity point. To not do so would be against human nature.

The alternative is to have one party who does what's best for the people...

BAD IDEA!

I am anti-car as many know and probably use public transport more than most people on Drunkit (although I won't bet on it). However, I think the government has it tough on this. Increasing the speed would be a nice idea, perhaps fuel prices should be increased further or some form of life-related assesment made for a new "Environmental Tax" where if you're assessed to be damaging the environment you're charged more tax, whereas if you use public transport you're not...

Something like that? I dunno, just a plan!

--Matt

Finding out who damaged the environment and who didn't would cost far more than the tax received.

I think petrol prices should keep rising. People should have to pay for the privilege of using a car. It's a bit like smoking - I don't drive (much), but I have to put up with all the crap chugged out into MY air because too many people are too lazy to walk into town!

On a more positive note, great to see the Govt. planning all these new offshore wind farms - we could be world leaders on this front in 20 years. Some farms could create more energy than a nuclear plant, we need to make the most of the resources at our disposal (being the windiest country in Europe!)

Sam

It's not about making money, this tax, it's about putting people off using their cars and causing awareness about damaging the environment.

Envuronment tax would be more unpopular then poll tax, but it's the kind of thing that should be done I think...

--Matt