Car free day

Author
Discussion

VTECDave

Original Poster:

1,993 posts

287 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
According to a report in a local paper, the Labour administration in Edinburgh are planning to make 22 Sept a car free day in part of the city centre.



As the band Travis said:

Here's what I'm going to do,
I going to buy a gun,
going to shoot everything everyone,
because it was you that drove me to........

marki

15,763 posts

276 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Thay had that bullshit in Copenhagen last summer , total f@@king chaos , all it did was alow the famous "Taxi Racing Team" to drive faster , waste of space

wolosp

2,335 posts

271 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
If there was a REAL alternative to the car that people actually wanted to use, then there would already be car-free city centres....and less revenue for government and higher unemployment as a result of the motor industry crashing to the deck. This is just another weak attempt to appeal to the enviro-lobby at the expence of the 'demon' motorist. It would be political suicide for any government to ban the use of the car or to price the driver out of his car as there's valuable tax income, jobs and votes involved.

niggle

600 posts

272 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Looks like its a europe wide thing www.22september.org/

At least its on a Sunday this year, and there is plenty of time between now and then you get your bike license

davidd

6,521 posts

290 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Our baby is due on the 22nd, if some f**kin sandal wearning, soap dodging, museli eating, Blair voting numpty thinks we'll be catching a bus to the hospital they can right off!

anonymous-user

60 months

Friday 7th June 2002
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got excited then, but now realise a free car day is different to a car free day!

alfa dave

946 posts

290 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
I'm racing at Curborough that day - I assume and hope that they won't be joining in. You see I'm not as fit as I was and my trainers haven't seen daylight since last year...

VTECDave

Original Poster:

1,993 posts

287 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Alternatives?

Well Edinburgh council are making noises about re-introducing a city wide tram system.

Nice idea! In what road space will that be then?

Leithen

11,918 posts

273 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Dave, they've been talking about trams for bleeding years - the "City Plan" has had airport links, south circular rail lines, trams, light rail solutions etc as a "high priority" for the last 20 years.... only one problem - no one's willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Take the south circular rail line - all the rail lines still exist - currently used as a "Goods" only line, runs from Waverley to Haymarket, all the central platforms and stairs are still in situ - goes through most of the southside of the city - Newington etc would be jam packed by commuters if reinstigated and take a big load off the New Town in terms of development, housing etc in the medium term let alone car usage in the Southside.

Why hasn't it been done??...... because five years ago or so, they couldn't raise a poxy 23 million for the rolling stock........

Arseholes

(you can tell I don't feel strongly about it)

mondeoman

11,430 posts

272 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
How can they do that - thought you had to get an act of parliament to close a road??? So if anyone tries to stop you, ask to see the relevant act, in duplicate, before you take any notice of the twats.

nevpugh308

4,410 posts

275 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Yeah, reintroduce a tram system like they did recently in Sheffield, then watch the accident rates sky rocket coz no-one knows how to drive on wet tram lines !

Steve Harrison

461 posts

273 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:
According to a report in a local paper, the Labour administration in Edinburgh are planning to make 22 Sept a car free day in part of the city centre.



It'll just be like the tube strikes in London. Everyone will take a day off work because they can't get there.

JohnL

1,763 posts

271 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

How can they do that - thought you had to get an act of parliament to close a road??? So if anyone tries to stop you, ask to see the relevant act, in duplicate, before you take any notice of the twats.


Only for a permanent closure, and then (I think) only needs to be the requivalent of an act by the local authority.

Temp closure can be done with 28 days' notice, subject to approval by local authority (but by officers not councillors) or less if it's only for short term eg less than 5 days.

Filmidget

682 posts

288 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
28 days is about right (6 weeks usually by the time paperwork is passed about) and it's dead easy. Councillors never even see the ones we use when closing the road for bridge works. And can be done for much longer than 5 days.

If 'they' tried such a foolish idea (I could rant about how foolish, but won't this time), would be worth checking that they have done all the paperwork, and posted the required notices etc. Some of these Council workers are right slackers you know

Cheers, Phil

Filmidget

682 posts

288 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
Just had a quick scan through via website posted and found:

www.local-transport.dtlr.gov.uk/eurocar/index.htm

quote:

Public support levels - In Town, Without My Car! is supported by most Londoners: A poll by MORI for the Evening Standard in April 2000 showed that 57% of Londoners would support a campaign to ban all cars from central London on one day a year (35% against; 9% don't know).

Thats it then, let's base the policy for the whole sodding country on one poll in the particularly crowded capital city (that has probably the best 'alternative' transport system in the country).

I was all relaxed this steady Friday afternoon - not now.

Cheers, Phil

Bodo

12,405 posts

272 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
All you've got to do is blackball car free zones: retailers will feel the squeeze and take active part against these car free days. (It's the retailers the cars are driving to)

Meanwhile you get your sponges and spanners out to work something on your car: 'car free' - or take a spin around countryside: no numpties on the road driving to zones that are car free.

Ali_D

1,115 posts

290 months

Friday 7th June 2002
quotequote all
7 June 2002 - Car free zone every where as most people who usually drive are to be found pissed in bars watching the mighty En - Grr - Land thrash the Argies!!

Neil Menzies

5,167 posts

290 months

Sunday 9th June 2002
quotequote all
quote:

According to a report in a local paper, the Labour administration in Edinburgh are planning to make 22 Sept a car free day in part of the city centre.




In the Scotland on Sunday today, proposals for congestion charging in Edinburgh. Two cordons, one round the city bypass, one round the city centre. Cross either, in an inward direction, in any day, and pay £2.

Fcukwits. Traders are already up in arms.

So if I go from my house, out to an out-of-city shopping centre, and back home, I pay £2? Whats the sodding council tax for then?

>> Edited by Neil Menzies on Sunday 9th June 13:44