Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Roddy Graham's Blog: 18 October 2007
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Roddy Graham's Blog: 18 October 2007

Date: 18 October 2007

Roddy Graham is chairman of the ICFM and commercial director of Leasedrive Velo

Work has started on the country's first dedicated motorway share lane - too little too late! And I do literally mean too little. The stretch in question is not...

Sharing better ideas

Work has started on the country's first dedicated motorway share lane - too little too late! And I do literally mean too little. The stretch in question is not 15 miles long around the M25 or ten miles long on the M1 near Luton but 1.7 miles long, where the M606 near Bradford links with the M62 towards Leeds. Just 1.7 miles long! It makes you want to weep.

I have no doubt that the good citizens in Yorkshire will be delighted at their end but it's not exactly a giant leap forward for UK motorists, is it?

It is acknowledged that we face the longest average daily commuting times in Europe so share lanes, where there is more than one occupant or a fare-paying passenger, make eminent sense to reduce congestion but 1.7 miles is hardly a grand pilot scheme!

Commute Smart Week is at the end of October. It is trying to encourage employers to adopt a smarter working practice by allowing their employees to work flexibly, stagger journey times to avoid peak periods and even allow home working. At least that's practical and encourages a better work/life balance. Employers may retain more loyal employees as a result.

Meanwhile rumours abound that Government has abandoned plans to introduce road charging which, while not popular, would have made drivers think twice about whether a car journey was really necessary. As readers of my regular blogs know, I am strongly opposed to road charging and black boxes, as I do not believe the powers-that-be have the necessary technology to seamlessly collect road pricing. Better to load up fuel duty than try to introduce something that will be a logistical nightmare to administer with a consequent hike in overheads!

However, if the rumours are true, it leaves the door wide open for local authorities to go down this road! Congestion charging is now being introduced in a third town. If local authorities take up the mantle nationwide it will inevitably be even more chaotic as drivers will not know where they stand. Is this town free, is this not? Is this congestion charging based on CO2 emissions or not?

We need some standardisation. What next? Will local authorities introduce their own speed limits - a normal 30mph zone replaced by 20mph or even 10mph? Where does it end? Government needs to get a grip.



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