The next big leader?

[bilky asko]

Imagine the benefit to the road network if just one inch was removed from every car's square footage. And more importantly we need to seriously look at carpooling incentives.

Interestingly, I have only seen one reference to carpooling locally, with carpool parking at the new Vangarde centre in York. The emptiest section of the car park, and arguably the best spaces.

[Alexia]

That's the carrot. Now where's the stick?

[bilky asko]

That's the carrot. Now where's the stick?

Make public transport as unappealing as possible so non-drivers beg driving family or friends to take them everywhere.

[Alexia]

That's the carrot. Now where's the stick?

Make public transport as unappealing as possible

Can't help with that sorry

[robschneider]

That's the carrot. Now where's the stick?

Make public transport as unappealing as possible so non-drivers beg driving family or friends to take them everywhere.

Is it possible to make it more unappealing?

[all new Phil]

Have you drive it?

[Alexia]

He's only drive on the extreme right and not stop for anyone who isn't white.

[Solent James]

We don't have an adequate road system in this country, we have a few overloaded motorways together with a network of trunk roads, many of which are single carriageway! The French, and to a lesser extent most other European nations, including some of those with a high population but a small land mass like the Netherlands have long realised that concentrating all strategic traffic on a small number of key arteries is a bad idea and as a result have a much more comprehensive network allowing far more flexibility for traffic. Its about time the UK caught up and its population stopped being so small minded in its thinking.

[Alexia]

As I said, the problem lies in the volume of traffic, the type of traffic and our work patterns. Right now in the UK we don't encourage carsharing, we don't discourage the purchase of overly large, inefficient, pointlessly spec'd vehicles, and we still have rush hours. We have precious few park&ride facilities, privatised bus services run by large multinationals who prioritise profits and government subsidies over good customer service; and old trains well past their sell by date. But none of that is going to change, because we have an anti-environmental government not interested in investing in public services, we have a largely uninterested public who endlessly whinge and complain but won't stump up fares or taxes to pay for the investment needed, and above all we have just voted to leave an institution which has provided millions to help improve infrastructure, including in some very Brexity places. So it's pointless pointing all this out, because nothing will change while we have a navel-gazing, uncaring, whinging country full of protoTories.

[woah]

I agree we desperately need a far better public transport system and more incentives to share vehicles - but I don't think even that would make a noticeable dent in the number of cars on the road because you just can't have a practical and frequent public transport system that picks you up from, or takes you to, everywhere. I live about 5 miles from work and I drive because it takes me 10 minutes to do so. Taking public transport would take me over an hour because I'd have to get a bus into the city centre first.

[thegeek]

What are the plans for Boris's coronation anyway ? Surely the Tories are going to have a period of handover pre the next election.

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.