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1727
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All across the Great Western territory / Looking forward - after Coronavirus to 2045 / Re: Transport policies - who would you vote for on transport policy alone?
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on: November 17, 2019, 23:05:36
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...when one considers that both major party's records on actually implementing manifesto pledges is woeful to put it at its politest.
Here's a manifesto statement for you: Plan for Transport
Nowhere is planning more urgently needed than in our transport system. The tragedy of lives lost and maimed; growing discomfort and delays in the journey to work; the summer weekend paralysis on our national highways; the chaos and loss of amenity in our towns and cities - these are only some of the unsolved problems of the new motor age.
Far from easing these problems, the Government's policy of breaking up road and rail freight co-ordination, of denationalising road haulage and finally of axing rail services under the Beeching Plan, have made things worse.
Labour will draw up a national plan for transport covering the national networks of road, rail and canal communications, properly co-ordinated with air, coastal shipping and port services. The new regional authorities will be asked to draw up transport plans for their own areas. While these are being prepared, major rail closures will be halted.
British Road Services, will be given all necessary powers to extend their fleet of road vehicles and to develop a first-rate national freight service. Reform of the road goods licensing system must now await the report of the Geddes Committee but, in the interests of road safety, we shall act vigorously to stop cut-throat haulage firms from flouting regulations covering vehicle maintenance, loads and driving hours.
Labour believes that public transport, road and rail, must play the dominant part in the journey to work. Every effort will be made to improve and modernise these services. Urgent attention will be given to the proposals in the Buchanan Report and to the development of new roads capable of diverting through traffic from town centres.
Labour will ensure that public transport is able to provide a reasonable service for those who live in rural areas. The studies already mentioned will decide whether these should be provided by public road or rail services.
Source: Labour PartyFor the sake of fairness, I've quoted this in full. It's the Labour Party Manifesto from 1964. Between the Beeching Report and the end of 1964 (Labour came to power in the October), 2224 km of routes had been closed. If closures were halted, it can only have been for the blink of an eye, for Labour went on to close a further 4143 km between 1965 and 1970 when the Tories returned, by which time the axe was more or less blunted. Of course it was the Tories who hired Beeching, and the Labour manifesto didn't say they were going to halt the cuts completely. But surely few people reading it would have imagined that far more lines would be axed under Labour than were closed under the Tories. So who do we believe this time? |
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1735
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All across the Great Western territory / The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom / Re: HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion
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on: November 14, 2019, 16:44:18
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We won't have the £88bn (and growing) in the Treasury coffers either. A lot of money is that.
Anyone fancy a game of whack-a-mole? An investment is an asset or item acquired with the goal of generating income or appreciation. In an economic sense, an investment is the purchase of goods that are not consumed today but are used in the future to create wealth. In finance, an investment is a monetary asset purchased with the idea that the asset will provide income in the future or will later be sold at a higher price for a profit.
Important: An investment always concerns the outlay of some asset today (time, money, effort, etc.) in hopes of a greater payoff in the future than what was originally put in.
Source: Investopedia |
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1738
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Journey by Journey / Bristol (WECA) Commuters / Re: Bristol Clean Air Zone proposals
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on: November 08, 2019, 18:10:14
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I can't see anyone in Westminster lifting a finger to support it, it's such a massive can of worms. I've already seen a number of tweets pointing out that a tiny diesel Citroen will be illegal but a hulking petrol muscle car will not.
It does seem eccentric that Euro 6 vehicles are included in this ban. Surely this will change? The London ULEZ allows petrol cars of Euro 4 and above, and Euro 6 diesels. That seems sensible. Residents' Parking and anti-car policies were one of the things that saw George Ferguson thrown out, Marvin is going the same way.
Those of us who have the misfortune to live just outside the Residents' Parking Zones are spitting teeth that populist politics won the day before the outer zones could be established. Experts - that is to say, people who have a better understanding of how things work than the average voter - reckoned that if the zone was too small, people living on the (reduced) periphery would have to put up with a disproportionate amount of displaced parking. This has proved to be the case. As an aside, isn't 'anti-car' just another way of saying 'pro-people'? I like people, me! Arguably, despite his party, the Conservative candidate would have a fair chance of winning just by touring "White Van Man" Bristol and repeating a mantra of "no diesel ban, forget the western harbour, the arena can sort itself out, more money for schools, removing graffiti and decent social services for your elderly relatives"
I suppose we should never say never, but I can't really imagine a world in which a Conservative could become Mayor of Bristol... |
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1739
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Sideshoots - associated subjects / Campaigns for new and improved services / Re: Portishead Line reopening for passengers - ongoing discussion
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on: November 08, 2019, 15:25:58
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“Nationally significant” rail scheme on track for Portishead
07 Nov 2019, 12:02 pm
Getting the train to Bristol is another step closer for people in Portishead.
The application for a Development Consent Order for the £116m MetroWest phase 1 scheme is being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by North Somerset Council along with a formal letter of support from West of England Mayor Tim Bowles.
The DCO▸ application seeks powers to build and operate the disused section of railway from Portishead to Pill, gain environmental consent to undertake works to the existing freight railway through the Avon Gorge and obtain powers for the compulsory acquisition of land.
Relaunching train services from Portishead with new stations at Portishead and Pill is a key part of the MetroWest programme of transport improvements across the region being led by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA» ) and North Somerset Council.
Benefits of the wider MetroWest scheme include:
181,000 fewer car trips in the opening year, increasing to 278,000 fewer car trips a year by 2036
A reduction of 7.5 million car kilometres in the opening year
958,980 passenger trips by rail in the opening year increasing to 1,295,103 passenger trips by 2036
Bringing more than 50,000 people within the immediate catchment of the two new stations at Portishead and Pill
Providing better access to employment and educational opportunities
Upgrading the existing train service at 16 stations across three rail corridors, directly benefiting 180,000 people within a 1km catchment
Creating 514 new direct permanent jobs and temporary jobs during construction
Providing £3 of quantified benefits for every £1 invested to deliver the scheme, putting the scheme in the high value for money category
Enhancing the regional economy by £264m in the first ten years.
Leader of North Somerset Council, Cllr Don Davies, said the council was committed to investing in local infrastructure: “The Portishead line is a nationally significant project that will deliver wide ranging environmental and economic benefits to our region. Once completed, MetroWest Phase 1 will connect an additional 50,000 residents directly to the national rail network and will improve the level of service for a further 180,000 residents on the Severn Beach and Bath corridors.”
Patricia Greer, Chief Executive of the West of England Combined Authority, said: “Reaching this milestone puts us within touching distance of the long awaited re-opening of the Portishead to Bristol line. It is also a significant moment in the wider MetroWest project, which will improve rail services for people right across the West of England.
“We are making major investments through MetroWest to give our region the rail network it deserves. From Severn Beach to Portishead and Henbury to Bath, we will be helping cut congestion, improve air quality and keep people moving. Making MetroWest a reality is only possible thanks to everyone involved working together, from the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council to the Department for Transport and Network Rail.”
The Secretary of State for Transport is expected to make a decision within 18 months.
Subject to final business case approval, construction work is expected to start on the Portishead to Bristol line in December 2021 and take around two years to complete.
Source: North Somerset Council |
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