Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Damian James' Blog: 19 March 2008
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Damian James' Blog: 19 March 2008

Date: 19 March 2008

Damian James

I was very interested to see that road pricing is back on the agenda only one week after it was allegedly off the agenda.

OK, so we have had the Budget and there were no great surprises.

I was very interested to see that road pricing is back on the agenda only one week after it was allegedly off the agenda. It looks as though that this will very much be down to local authorities to test the water using Government Transport Innovation Fund money. Is this by any chance because the Government is too nervous of the voters to try road charging first?

I was also thinking yesterday about High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. Having a young child my car is equipped with a car seat, which is secured onto the nearside rear seat, and I was wondering how I would be able to use a HOV if I had my daughter in the car with me. I would have two occupants in the car, so I would fulfil the criteria of a HOV lane, but if my daughter is hidden behind the empty passenger seat would I not be lining myself up for a fine because all a camera would see is a singly occupied car?

In fact, would it not be impossible to use a HOV lane, without getting fined, if I carried any passenger in the rear seats? If the cameras were really clever they could probably pick out someone who was sat in the middle of the rear seats due to their silhouette, but unless you have three people in the back who sits in the middle seat? What about chauffeurs - as they would often only carry rear seat passengers would they then be excluded from HOV lanes too?

No doubt someone is trying to come up with suitable technology to get round this all, but it going to need to be some smart kit, or maybe if you sit in the back you don't count anymore!

As a further thought I see that the proposed lane on the M1 has been scrapped due to it being too dangerous.



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