What Are The Govt. Thinking?

[yannick]

And still the public transport has not been improved, however much money is ploughed into it.

One thing that I found interesting is that no-one in power seems to understand that the public transport system needs to be improved before people will consider giving up their cars.

Well, actually they probably understand this perfectly well, but it goes to show that the intention is not to reduce congestion, increase security, or whatever - it's just money raising (a point that has been brought up by plenty of people in this thread).

Personally I do consider using public transport... I spent 2 years using trains & busses before buying my latest car. But here, as in the UK, the system is not ideal so I now use the car.

[jimma]

And still the public transport has not been improved, however much money is ploughed into it.

Yeah but the British publics attitude is at fault here as much as the govt. inc. myself. Even if the buses were gold plated had stewardesses, cost pennies etc i'd still want my own little bit of private space and wouldn't get on a bus to save my life and I suspect most people with a licence and car would be the same.

[kash]

And still the public transport has not been improved, however much money is ploughed into it.

One thing that I found interesting is that no-one in power seems to understand that the public transport system needs to be improved before people will consider giving up their cars.

Well, actually they probably understand this perfectly well, but it goes to show that the intention is not to reduce congestion, increase security, or whatever - it's just money raising (a point that has been brought up by plenty of people in this thread).

Personally I do consider using public transport... I spent 2 years using trains & busses before buying my latest car. But here, as in the UK, the system is not ideal so I now use the car.

I often travel to France for work.... and I have to say the public transport in Paris is allot better than London (and cheaper)

[Fidgits]

Well, you see the goverments plan is quite simple really....

Look like your pricing people out of their cars, to keep the enviromentalists happy.

Make some small improvments to public transport, but raise the costs to offset this.

Build toll roads/congestion charges to show motorists they are trying to relive congestion....

So what they are actually doing, is charging people as much as possible, but not actually trying to encorage people out of their cars, because that would impact income from the market..

[kash]

Well, you see the goverments plan is quite simple really....

Look like your pricing people out of their cars, to keep the enviromentalists happy.

Make some small improvments to public transport, but raise the costs to offset this.

Build toll roads/congestion charges to show motorists they are trying to relive congestion....

So what they are actually doing, is charging people as much as possible, but not actually trying to encorage people out of their cars, because that would impact income from the market..

I think Fidgits has summed it up quite well!!! it's all about making MONEY for them nothing else!!!

[jimma]

Well, you see the goverments plan is quite simple really....

Look like your pricing people out of their cars, to keep the enviromentalists happy.

Make some small improvments to public transport, but raise the costs to offset this.

Build toll roads/congestion charges to show motorists they are trying to relive congestion....

So what they are actually doing, is charging people as much as possible, but not actually trying to encorage people out of their cars, because that would impact income from the market..

I think Fidgits has summed it up quite well!!! it's all about making MONEY for them nothing else!!!

Same as everything, i agree. Where I live in Havant we have just been told we will have to pay to park outside our own houses, the cuncillors involved have just awarded themselves a 27% pay rise, oh and they also said "Havant needs to be dragged into the 21st century, we need to build attractions (useless white elephants) so i'm expecting my council tax bill to outweigh my salary any time now!! :censor: :ffs:

[yannick]

Well, you see the goverments plan is quite simple really....

Look like your pricing people out of their cars, to keep the enviromentalists happy.

Make some small improvments to public transport, but raise the costs to offset this.

Build toll roads/congestion charges to show motorists they are trying to relive congestion....

So what they are actually doing, is charging people as much as possible, but not actually trying to encorage people out of their cars, because that would impact income from the market..

Yep

[yannick]

I often travel to France for work.... and I have to say the public transport in Paris is allot better than London (and cheaper)

I agree. But you've got to remember that the public transport system outside Paris is probably not much better (or even in some areas worse) than the equivalent in the UK. There is also the problem that the whole system is Paris-centric. Try getting a train to go from Nice to Biarritz, or from Le Havre to Brest.

Another thing to remember is that the French railways and the Paris public transport system are still subsidised (quite heavily IIRC). But don't get me wrong - I'm all for subsidies for genuine services.

[Surinder]

I often travel to France for work.... and I have to say the public transport in Paris is allot better than London (and cheaper)

I agree. But you've got to remember that the public transport system outside Paris is probably not much better (or even in some areas worse) than the equivalent in the UK. There is also the problem that the whole system is Paris-centric. Try getting a train to go from Nice to Biarritz, or from Le Havre to Brest.

Another thing to remember is that the French railways and the Paris public transport system are still subsidised (quite heavily IIRC). But don't get me wrong - I'm all for subsidies for genuine services.

I work in public transport, so I agree to an extent. But the British mentality is different from Europe and Asia. We are impatient and at times very lazy.

I live next to a school and most of the people that drop their kids to school in their cars live within a mile radius causing chaos at times. How many of us pop into the car just go to the corner shop and back just because there is a dark cloud on the horizon? (My wife being a major culprit for this)

We love our cars; It’s going to take them ages to change our cultural habits, until then they will milk us for every penny they can.

[Fidgits]

The best public transport system I have ever used has to be the one in Munich...

I think that if i was offered a viable alternative to using my car, I would.

But its like me going home to Cumbria, to take the train it costs 75 quid if i book in advance (which is similar to fuel costs in the IS!), I have to change trains at least 3 times, if im lucky, and it takes 2 hours longer! This is all assuming there are no delays/cancellations!

[jimma]

The best public transport system I have ever used has to be the one in Munich...

I think that if i was offered a viable alternative to using my car, I would.

But its like me going home to Cumbria, to take the train it costs 75 quid if i book in advance (which is similar to fuel costs in the IS!), I have to change trains at least 3 times, if im lucky, and it takes 2 hours longer! This is all assuming there are no delays/cancellations!

Same here mate, (well, Nordenham anyway) Germany have it sussed. But then thats no surprise really is it. They are efficient to the point of being boring!!!!! Denmarks was pretty good, Greece, forget it.

[kash]

I work in public transport, so I agree to an extent. But the British mentality is different from Europe and Asia. We are impatient and at times very lazy.

I live next to a school and most of the people that drop their kids to school in their cars live within a mile radius causing chaos at times. How many of us pop into the car just go to the corner shop and back just because there is a dark cloud on the horizon? (My wife being a major culprit for this)

We love our cars; It’s going to take them ages to change our cultural habits, until then they will milk us for every penny they can.

That's very true indeed.... I'm one of those, although recently I have tried to change the habbit (not very succesfully I must add).... It'll take a hell of a along time for ppl to change a life long cultural habit. Although i feel this would require a change in attitude not only towards the way we use our cars, but mainly on how we manage our patient/laziness levels!!! Once ppl become more considerate and less 'self centered' then I think it'll have a big effect on society, not only on the way we precieve transport.

Personally I think us British have lived a pamperd life (in comparison to many other coutries) coupled with the materialistic dermands of modern society have lead us to being lazy and impatient. Whenever we want something we expect it now, and rather not wait for it. You only have to watch the recent history documentaries e.g. World War documentaries to hear how 'different' ppls attitudes where, how friendly ppl where etc...

I think the government should try to invest some time and effort into exploring ways of improving attitudes instead of trying to milk us dry!!! I think their attitude towards a car is... "Everyone should own a car but NOT drive it", allowing for revenuses from insurance, road tax

etc.

[dazwan]

...We are impatient and at times very lazy.

...How many of us pop into the car just go to the corner shop and back just because there is a dark cloud on the horizon? (My wife being a major culprit for this)...

...It’s going to take them ages to change our cultural habits...

That's very true indeed.... I'm one of those, although recently I have tried to change the habbit (not very succesfully I must add)....

I've been trying to get into the habit of walking to work and back. To be honest in the last 2 months I've reverted to being lazy, but hopefully I'm back on track. I only live 2 miles from work and these days I really appreciate being in a position where I can walk to work. I always have a little chuckle to myself at 5pm when I walk past all those frustrated drivers stuck in the rushhour traffic (there's no such thing as a rush hour for a pedestrian)

When I first started walking I was amazed at how I'd actually come to believe that a 40 minute walk was a long way (I now think of this as quite a short length of time). Now I just appreciate it, especially when I consider that my dad can hardly walk these days (due to old age). It just makes me realise that we've got to make the most of what we have, because it won't always be there.

[VTRick]

I've been trying to get into the habit of walking to work and back.

i tried that, then i realised i live 23 miles away...

[dazwan]

[Fidgits]

I've been trying to get into the habit of walking to work and back.

i tried that, then i realised i live 23 miles away...

I walk to work most days...

A very tiring few metres i have to say

[Karma Supra]

Luckily this is completely unworkable

The scheme would require expensive satellite-tracking equipment to be fitted in all cars.

eeeek gues what the company we are staring up specialises in.. funny the government seem very keen we suceed

I thought that what road tax was, and the tax on the petrol we burnt?

[dazwan]

I think as soon as the government realises how these plans will cripple the haulage business in this country it will soon lose interest in the idea. Seeing how the haulage industry reacted when petrol reached 80p/ltr, increasing their costs any further will just aggrivate them more.

Get ready for more go-slow protests on the M62!!!

[yannick]

I work in public transport, so I agree to an extent.  But the British mentality is different from Europe and Asia.  We are impatient and at times very lazy.

:ffs: :ffs: :censor: :ffs: :ffs:

I tried replying to this from work. I spend 10 minutes thinking up a nice answer, and then some :censor: accidentally cut the network cable from the office to the outside world. I had a whole :censor: afternoon with no network, internet or anything else (and probably the same tomorrow) and my reply was totally lost.

Well, looking on the bright side you've not had to put up with a boring rant on the latin countries attitude on this topic. :P Suffice to say that I've found the germanic countries to have a much more contientious public than the French, the Italians or the Spanish

:ffs: :ffs: network :ffs: :ffs: