Showing posts with label Road Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Road Safety. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 February 2013
A WELCOME CHANGE OF PACE
It would appear that Labour in Wales’s elected representatives in Cardiff Bay have finally woken up from their self induced slumber and called for more powers over Policing, road safety, speed and drink driving limits, ports, licensing of alcohol, Water, etc. Interestingly enough the Welsh government also wants a shorter timescale for devolving powers in relation to rail services and infrastructure, and the responsibilities for the appointment of the Welsh member of the BBC Trust as well as the chair and members of the S4C Authority. Labour in Wales have also made it pretty clear that any transfer of further powers would need to be accompanied by full budget transfers from the Treasury, and that no further referendum would be required for any of their proposals to take effect. This does make a welcome change of pace from the self induced inertia that has gone before and the changes may well be a result of the possible consequences of a Scottish independence referendum finally beginning to sink in. Not surprisingly Labour in Westminster’s elected representatives from Wales were pretty quick to leap to their own defence (or at least the defence of their own interests), no doubt much muttering will duly follow behind closed doors (even perhaps from the as yet silent Peter ‘the Pain’ Hain, unless he is too busy representing other people interests).
Thursday, 29 July 2010
ROADS AND BRIDGES AND RAIL FREIGHT
News that the residents concerns about the noise and pollution levels caused by HGV's vehicles (on the A472) taking a short cut through the centre of Usk, while being of importance are nothing new. As a Trainee journalist on the Pontypool Free Press, I can recall this problem was a contentious issue in the late 1980's. Gwent Police, Monmouthshire council (the nominal successor to Gwent County Council in Usk at least) and Usk town council are still trying to resolve this problem.
I also remember that in the late 1980's a by-pass was offered by developers, controversially linked to proposed plans to build large amounts of housing in and around the town. This proposed development caused some controversy and headlines and letters in the Free Press at least at the time, but, nothing (and rightly so in my opinion)came of it.
The problem has not gone away, it's even worse than it used to be, as over the last twenty years the HGV's have got larger and far more frequent and damage is being done to Usk (and the river bridge) not to mention the increase in noise and pollution in the town, which affects residents, something that will also help to deter visitors to the town. The current 7.5 tonnes weight limit warmings which are being regularly flouted and any resultant fines are not working.
Most people know that there are periodic exceptions to the weight limit and the road traffic orders restricting weight limits are difficult to enforce. The short cut through Usk (from the A449) avoids using the A40 from Raglan to Abergavenny and the A4042 which has well known traffic related problems of its own, to save a few miles. The use of Sat-navs also causes problems by directing lorries through the town
rather than alternative routes.
The issue continues to rightly generate more than reasonable concerns amongst the residents of Usk, there have been recent and not so recent public meetings to address public concerns about the bridge and air pollution in the town. A number of different solutions have been proposed over the years, but, in truth nothing has been done to solve the problem.
The bad news is with the UK Government looking to make significant savings to its capital expenditure programme (which will be passed on down the line to the National Assembly in Cardiff and our local authorities) any suggestion of a by-pass will be a non starter. Even over the short term, with extra police patrols and road blocks may not necessarily survive the cost cutting that's going to descend upon Gwent Police (and the other forces in Wales).
There are not quick fixes, and no easy answers, one thing we need to do is get freight back onto rail and off our roads, far too much freight is being moved long distances by HGV's along roads which are entirely unsuitable for such volumes of traffic. This is one side effect of the wholesale butchery of our rail network in the 1950's and 1960's.
If Government in both London and Cardiff is really serious about cutting carbon emissions and reducing road congestion then much more emphasis on getting heavy goods back onto our railways, Now lets be honest this is not a quick fix and it may not be cheap but it can be done if the political will is there, as has happened in Scotland, where there is a useful combination of the will, the funding and interested private partners.
I also remember that in the late 1980's a by-pass was offered by developers, controversially linked to proposed plans to build large amounts of housing in and around the town. This proposed development caused some controversy and headlines and letters in the Free Press at least at the time, but, nothing (and rightly so in my opinion)came of it.
The problem has not gone away, it's even worse than it used to be, as over the last twenty years the HGV's have got larger and far more frequent and damage is being done to Usk (and the river bridge) not to mention the increase in noise and pollution in the town, which affects residents, something that will also help to deter visitors to the town. The current 7.5 tonnes weight limit warmings which are being regularly flouted and any resultant fines are not working.
Most people know that there are periodic exceptions to the weight limit and the road traffic orders restricting weight limits are difficult to enforce. The short cut through Usk (from the A449) avoids using the A40 from Raglan to Abergavenny and the A4042 which has well known traffic related problems of its own, to save a few miles. The use of Sat-navs also causes problems by directing lorries through the town
rather than alternative routes.
The issue continues to rightly generate more than reasonable concerns amongst the residents of Usk, there have been recent and not so recent public meetings to address public concerns about the bridge and air pollution in the town. A number of different solutions have been proposed over the years, but, in truth nothing has been done to solve the problem.
The bad news is with the UK Government looking to make significant savings to its capital expenditure programme (which will be passed on down the line to the National Assembly in Cardiff and our local authorities) any suggestion of a by-pass will be a non starter. Even over the short term, with extra police patrols and road blocks may not necessarily survive the cost cutting that's going to descend upon Gwent Police (and the other forces in Wales).
There are not quick fixes, and no easy answers, one thing we need to do is get freight back onto rail and off our roads, far too much freight is being moved long distances by HGV's along roads which are entirely unsuitable for such volumes of traffic. This is one side effect of the wholesale butchery of our rail network in the 1950's and 1960's.
If Government in both London and Cardiff is really serious about cutting carbon emissions and reducing road congestion then much more emphasis on getting heavy goods back onto our railways, Now lets be honest this is not a quick fix and it may not be cheap but it can be done if the political will is there, as has happened in Scotland, where there is a useful combination of the will, the funding and interested private partners.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
KILLING OUR SPEED!
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study which suggests that 20mph zones in residential areas on London save lives and reduce the children killed or injured in road accidents and has called for the expansion of the Home Zone scheme to residential areas across Wales.
This study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that 20mph zones have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone. The study estimates that at 20 mph only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, which compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.
The British Medical Journal noted that 20 mph zones in parts of London, have with reduced speed limits have reduced number of children killed or seriously injured has been halved over the past 15 years and cut road injuries by 40% in London. We need to revisit the Dutch idea of Home Zones – which attempt to strike a balance between road traffic and everyone else who uses the street.
Now there are those who have dismissed calls for lower speed limits as attempts to merely raise revenue or boost Police funds, but, try telling that to someone who has lost a child or seen their loved ones hurt in an accident where excessive speed played a part or telling that to any Police officer who has had to attend a road traffic accident that involves a child. At 20mph, it is estimated only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, this compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.
If we are serious about road safety and reducing accidents then we need to serious consider developing 20mph zones around our schools and expanding them to include the streets that are around our schools, especially those streets that are residential in nature, as this will save lives and protect our children and pedestrians.
This study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that 20mph zones have the potential to prevent up to 700 casualties in London alone. The study estimates that at 20 mph only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, which compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.
The British Medical Journal noted that 20 mph zones in parts of London, have with reduced speed limits have reduced number of children killed or seriously injured has been halved over the past 15 years and cut road injuries by 40% in London. We need to revisit the Dutch idea of Home Zones – which attempt to strike a balance between road traffic and everyone else who uses the street.
Now there are those who have dismissed calls for lower speed limits as attempts to merely raise revenue or boost Police funds, but, try telling that to someone who has lost a child or seen their loved ones hurt in an accident where excessive speed played a part or telling that to any Police officer who has had to attend a road traffic accident that involves a child. At 20mph, it is estimated only one in 40 pedestrians is killed in a crash, this compares with a one in five chance for someone hit at 30mph.
If we are serious about road safety and reducing accidents then we need to serious consider developing 20mph zones around our schools and expanding them to include the streets that are around our schools, especially those streets that are residential in nature, as this will save lives and protect our children and pedestrians.
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