ULEZ & The Environment

[camberwell fox]

It absolutely is. Birmingham already has it in the form of the low emissions zone for the city centre which I believe is the same as ULEZ, but there's much worse on the way.

The Labour run council (which is imminently about to go bust) has approved a plan to "split the city centre into seven traffic cells to reduce the dominance of cars for short journeys".

What this means in practice is that to make a journey that could be 150 yards, you now have to exit the city centre, enter the ring road and re-enter the segment you want. It's bonkers because unlike London, Birmingham's transport network is:

• More expensive
• Significantly worse
• Does not have an underground system
• Relies predominately on Bus routes (east - west)
• Was purpose built for the car and not the pedestrian

Here's what the quadrants will look like:

****ing hell, what twat came up with this?

 

[camberwell fox]

If you completely disregard any supposed benefit from the ULEZ and traffic calming measures, the impact on small businesses is nothing short of catastrophic, what’s more, businesses are still reeling from Covid and the increases on rent and rates, let alone power.

If they want to create ghost towns, that are going about it the right way.

 

[popillius]

I think there is a balance to be struck. We have to try and get people out of their cars, there's no doubt about that. Lazy ****ers who drive 600 yards to the local shop for a bag of Wotsits need to get a grip of themselves, but then there are those people who have genuine mobility issues who need to drive everywhere and that is fair enough.

Now if we look at the bigger picture, there are far too many cars passing through city centres, making them noisy, smelly, thick with pollution and generally unpleasant; I'm all for reducing this. I want to be able to walk around cities and towns with my children and be safe in the jnowledge that they will be safe and comfortable. The expansion of ULEZ has happened far too rapidly however and there should have been a much more staggered process in terms of cost and geography. People, already burdened by huge mortgage increases and a cost of living crisis, are being driven to despair by having their salaries stretched beyond any manageable means. A Labour mayor should absolutely know better and do better than this.

There's also the problem of good, reliable public transport. It is, no doubt, much better than it ever used to be but on three out of the seven occasions I caught the train two weeks ago to get to work, it was more than 10 minutes late and on one occasion it wad cancelled completely as was the following train. When I eventually did get to the other end and needed to get a connecting bus, nevause I could only get to a different station, the bus stop was 'out of service' and so I ended up getting an Uber. I could have and perhaps should have just driven. Until we make these systems better, we can't hope to 'persuade' people onto public transport without a whole lot of backlash.

 

[Fox Fan]

Now if we look at the bigger picture, there are far too many cars passing through city centres, making them noisy, smelly, thick with pollution and generally unpleasant; I'm all for reducing this. I want to be able to walk around cities and towns with my children and be safe in the jnowledge that they will be safe and comfortable.

Is there too many cars passing through? If I go into Birmingham city centre (and I can only talk to Birmingham really because it's my nearest major city), it's already pretty much entirely pedestriananised.

Depending on where you're heading, you probably wouldn't even see a car in your entire journey from New Street Station to Centinary Square/ Bull Ring / Corporation St / Colmore Row. That works fine.

Given that Birmingham was a city that was rebuilt for the car, that pedestrian access has had to be wrestled back over decades, but it's better than it's ever been.

Generally, the traffic isn't even too bad, even at rush hour.

So with petrol and diesel cars no longer being sold in less than 7 years time, is there really a need for the ULEZ style controls or is it just a tax being implemented now to be rolled over into a congestion charge?

 

[popillius]

Is there too many cars passing through? If I go into Birmingham city centre (and I can only talk to Birmingham really because it's my nearest major city), it's already pretty much entirely pedestriananised.

Depending on where you're heading, you probably wouldn't even see a car in your entire journey from New Street Station to Centinary Square/ Bull Ring / Corporation St / Colmore Row. That works fine.

Given that Birmingham was a city that was rebuilt for the car, that pedestrian access has had to be wrestled back over decades, but it's better than it's ever been.

Generally, the traffic isn't even too bad, even at rush hour.

So with petrol and diesel cars no longer being sold in less than 7 years time, is there really a need for the ULEZ style controls or is it just a tax being implemented now to be rolled over into a congestion charge?

I was speaking generally to be honest. I think Birmingham has done a fabulous job of making the centre more people friendly although getting into the centre is still ****ing nightmarish at times, but many cities haven't done a decent job of this at all and parts of London are certainly on that list.

 

[camberwell fox]

Driving around London is a pain and you need eyes up your arse.

I get on average two tickets per month which at discounted rates cost me at least £120.

This is mainly due to changes in restrictions where I haven’t seen new signage.

I dread to think what would happen to someone who came to London and didn’t know the areas.

The latest shitshow is the introduction of restrictions on roads at certain times (generally 7:30 to 9:30 and 3:30 to 5:00), to make it safer around schools.

The signs are small and they are introduced it appears at will.

 

[Payne74]

The biggest problem with public transport is the cost, trains are ludicrously expensive,when my children were younger we drove everywhere as the cost of Diesel was the same for 1 passenger or 5 give or take a slightly lower mpg with the extra weight.
A tank of Diesel for my Golf costs about £65 and it will do 700 miles.
An off peak return from Margate to Leicester is £112.10 for the game against Coventry, not that there's a train that arrives in time for the early KO the nearest one leaves Margate at 0655 and gets into Leicester at 11:51 it takes 4HR 56M with 2 changes and a bus...or I drive my Golf it takes 3 hours and costs around £35 for the 360 mile round trip.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

It absolutely is. Birmingham already has it in the form of the low emissions zone for the city centre which I believe is the same as ULEZ, but there's much worse on the way.

The Labour run council (which is imminently about to go bust) has approved a plan to "split the city centre into seven traffic cells to reduce the dominance of cars for short journeys".

What this means in practice is that to make a journey that could be 150 yards, you now have to exit the city centre, enter the ring road and re-enter the segment you want. It's bonkers because unlike London, Birmingham's transport network is:

• More expensive
• Significantly worse
• Does not have an underground system
• Relies predominately on Bus routes (east - west)
• Was purpose built for the car and not the pedestrian

Here's what the quadrants will look like:

They shot Shanks' Pony a long time ago to become the largest producers of antique cars in the World until their home and colonial markets vanished with the Rising Sun.

Must be hard to play a tune on the World's tiniest violin, especially when ROFling at the same time.

 

[Joe_Fox]

Different topic really but imagine trying to decipher this with an impatient **** up your arse beeping at you.

 

[Payne74]

View attachment 17896

Different topic really but imagine trying to decipher this with an impatient **** up your arse beeping at you.

Philip Schofield likes Arse and he likes to cut queues

 

[popillius]

View attachment 17896

Different topic really but imagine trying to decipher this with an impatient **** up your arse.

You and alex on a daytrip?

 

[FOX Franks]

The biggest problem with public transport is the cost, trains are ludicrously expensive,when my children were younger we drove everywhere as the cost of Diesel was the same for 1 passenger or 5 give or take a slightly lower mpg with the extra weight.
A tank of Diesel for my Golf costs about £65 and it will do 700 miles.
An off peak return from Margate to Leicester is £112.10 for the game against Coventry, not that there's a train that arrives in time for the early KO the nearest one leaves Margate at 0655 and gets into Leicester at 11:51 it takes 4HR 56M with 2 changes and a bus...or I drive my Golf it takes 3 hours and costs around £35 for the 360 mile round trip.

Rail's not helping itself. I tried to make a business trip to Gloucester the other week which ended up taking me about 3 hours there and 4 back due to train cancellations.
It was not on a strike day.

I drove yesterday. 2.5 hours each way with a stop and due to the way our mileage scheme works actually made me money.

How do you justify the train based on that information - and this is coming from a major rail advocate, as I usually say it's far less stressful than driving. Not when there are that many cancellations!

 

[camberwell fox]

Rail's not helping itself. I tried to make a business trip to Gloucester the other week which ended up taking me about 3 hours there and 4 back due to train cancellations.
It was not on a strike day.

I drove yesterday. 2.5 hours each way with a stop and due to the way our mileage scheme works actually made me money.

How do you justify the train based on that information - and this is coming from a major rail advocate, as I usually say it's far less stressful than driving. Not when there are that many cancellations!

It’s nigh on impossible.

Take today, went on holiday and wanted to get the Gatwick Express -on strike again so no service.

Parking at Gatwick now close to £250 for 14 days. Got a taxi in the end (both ways) £140 inclusive.

Trains in and around London are a farce.

 

[Payne74]

It’s nigh on impossible.

Take today, went on holiday and wanted to get the Gatwick Express -on strike again so no service.

Parking at Gatwick now close to £250 for 14 days. Got a taxi in the end (both ways) £140 inclusive.

Trains in and around London are a farce.

My Daughter and her friends are off to Brighton this weekend (Pride) they were going to go by train....they are on strike so they will have to drive and use the park and ride in Brighton instead.

The train staff deliberately go on strike at any big events just to piss the public off, I for one couldn't care less if they shut all passenger trains in the UK permanently.

 

[Payne74]

It’s nigh on impossible.

Take today, went on holiday and wanted to get the Gatwick Express -on strike again so no service.

Parking at Gatwick now close to £250 for 14 days. Got a taxi in the end (both ways) £140 inclusive.

Trains in and around London are a farce.

It's cheaper to book a room(cheapest available)at the BLOC hotel in the south terminal and add parking as an extra than it is to use one of the surrounding car parks.

If you're flying from the North terminal just use the free mono rail.

 

[camberwell fox]

It's cheaper to book a room(cheapest available)at the BLOC hotel in the south terminal and add parking as an extra than it is to use one of the surrounding car parks.

If you're flying from the North terminal just use the free mono rail.

Yep, it totally is. I couldn’t do this due to timings but ridiculously, it is cheaper.

 

[Fox Fan]

It's cheaper to book a room(cheapest available)at the BLOC hotel in the south terminal and add parking as an extra than it is to use one of the surrounding car parks.

If you're flying from the North terminal just use the free mono rail.

incidentally, they sent me a 30% discount today for that - if it's of use to anyone:

London Gatwick Airport Hotel with Parking | Bloc Gatwick

London Gatwick Airport hotel with secure on-site parking. Arrive in style for less with flexible Official London Gatwick Airport Valet Parking packages. Park, Sleep, Fly with Bloc Hotel Gatwick.

eot.blochotels.com

 

[Payne74]

Yep, it totally is. I couldn’t do this due to timings but ridiculously, it is cheaper.

It's brilliant if you can also do a bag drop the night before.

 

[Joe_Fox]

If you're flying from the North terminal just use the free mono rail.

Aw, it's not for you. It's more a Shelbyville idea.

 

[tedfoxxx]

Aw, it's not for you. It's more a Shelbyville idea.

What about us braindead slobs?