War on Motorists

Instead of clogging up posts with off topic discussions, have them here. Keep it clean folks!
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
Post Reply
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

War on Motorists

Post by MorrisJohn »

The Glasgow Centre for Population Health has called for cuts to parking places in the city, along with higher parking prices (they’re already expensive), a 20mph limit throughout the city and for cars to be banned from large areas of the city. This is in addition to the Low Emission Zone, which is already being brought in.

Furthermore, Glasgow City Council are to bring in the SNP/Green “workplace parking tax.” This tax was delivered by the nationalists, in return for Greens supporting to their minority administration’s budget. What this means is that for every space within a private car park that an employer provides to an employee, that employer will then be charged (£500 annually in the first instance, I believe) by the Council for providing it. Most businesses are expected to pass this tax onto their employees. This will apply even to shift workers, who are literally unable to get to their work by any other means, and regardless of vehicle fuel type. Whilst public transport is good in some areas, in others it’s not and it’s takes a lot longer than using a car.

Whilst these changes relate specifically to Glasgow, other cities throughout the UK will no doubt be considering similar schemes.

Now, I do want to see cleaner air within cities. Glasgow city centre, for instance, is disgusting in places to walk through. The number of diesel buses and taxis makes the air truly vile in places. Personally I’d like to see diesels banned in the city centre and replaced with hydrogen fuel cell or electric vehicles.

However, the city has already witnessed the departure of several large retailers (who’ve either gone out of business or relocated to out-of-town retail parks). Plans are also afoot to demolish a large shopping mall (Buchanan Galleries) and “repopulate” the city centre by building flats instead (presumably with no parking spaces).

It looks to me like what will happen is this; the city centre will be repopulated but many of the shops there will die as it becomes increasingly difficult for people to access by car. The new city centre population will not make up for the loss of visitors and loss to online retailers.

As a consequence the people that live in the city centre will be forced to travel to the out-of-town retail parks if they wish to shop in person.

Personally I’m very concerned about the creeping intrusions on our personal freedoms (unless of course you’re a woke eco warrior) being brought about by the so-called culture wars.

For discussion…
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
User avatar
geoberni
Minor Legend
Posts: 3561
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:19 am
Location: North Leicestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by geoberni »

It's nothing new, it was first introduced by Nottingham City Council 10 years ago. The SNP are just pinching the idea.

Nottingham hail it as a success, which it is as far as it goes, but with side effects, such as a massive increase in the number of people who park on streets outside the City Limits and then get the bus for the last part of their journey.

Glasgow is one of a number of cities using the Nottingham experience to start their own schemes.

One anecdote of the lengths some employers went to was a rumour about Boots the Chemists, probably the largest employer in the city. Their site was so huge, spanning the City boundary into the neighbouring Borough council. So they moved most of their on-site parking to land outside the City limit....
Basil the 1955 series II

Image
unclealec
Minor Fan
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:23 am
Location: Manchester
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by unclealec »

I see both sides.
My wife's life has been blighted by respiratory problems. She grew up in a coal-fired terraced house in inner Manchester. Her parents smoked, the house smoked, if she went outside for a breath of fresh air, outside smoked!
Clean air is a laudable aim.
But why do measures aiming for improvements always hit those who can cope least? Why are obvious targets such as air travel left relatively untouched? Who amongst us can afford to pay £40k for an electric vehicle? Not me.
Where is the logic in filling in fracking sites whilst importing vast amounts of gas? Proscribing a new coal mine in Cumbria whilst shipping in an inferior product from South America as it is a vital part of an industrial process?
I am just a simple soul, and easily perplexed; this lot perplexes the hell out of me.
Alec Gatherer
Manchester-by-the-Ditch.
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by MorrisJohn »

unclealec wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:13 am Where is the logic in filling in fracking sites whilst importing vast amounts of gas? Proscribing a new coal mine in Cumbria whilst shipping in an inferior product from South America as it is a vital part of an industrial process?
I am just a simple soul, and easily perplexed; this lot perplexes the hell out of me.
I’m with you on that. Similarly, the SNP/Green alliance have committed to no new explorations in the North Sea and to winding it down. Despite basing the - alleged - economic case for independence on it just a few years ago!

At the same time energy prices are exploding and Western Europe is importing gas from Russia. If Russia is hit with economic sanctions over Ukraine they can simply shut off Europe’s gas.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
jagnut66
Minor Legend
Posts: 3635
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:28 pm
Location: Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by jagnut66 »

Personally I’m very concerned about the creeping intrusions on our personal freedoms (unless of course you’re a woke eco warrior) being brought about by the so-called culture wars.
It's going to carry on I'm afraid, they think they've now got some sort of God given right to tell what to do, how to think and how to live our lives.....
And woe betide any of us that stand up and give them a piece of our minds or dare to think for ourselves and have a different opinion.......
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
Chipper
Minor Addict
Posts: 857
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:43 pm
Location: Kent
MMOC Member: No

Re: War on Motorists

Post by Chipper »

MorrisJohn wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:22 am
At the same time energy prices are exploding and Western Europe is importing gas from Russia. If Russia is hit with economic sanctions over Ukraine they can simply shut off Europe’s gas.
Tell me about it: I just submitted my latest meter readings to Scottish Power's website, which immediately informed they have upped my direct debit from £30/month to £99/month, with no explanation why! :roll:
Maurice, E. Kent
(1970 Traveller)
myoldjalopy
Minor Legend
Posts: 2516
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:32 pm
Location: Kernow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by myoldjalopy »

That is shocking customer service, Maurice, thoughtless and callous. But I fear this will soon be commonplace and many will really struggle.
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by MorrisJohn »

Chipper wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:10 pm
Tell me about it: I just submitted my latest meter readings to Scottish Power's website, which immediately informed they have upped my direct debit from £30/month to £99/month, with no explanation why! :roll:
Yikes!!

One can’t help but wonder how electric car owners feel right now, faced with anticipated 50-70% energy price rises this year.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
dp
Minor Legend
Posts: 1045
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:26 pm
Location: Southend
MMOC Member: No

Re: War on Motorists

Post by dp »

unclealec wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:13 am I see both sides.
My wife's life has been blighted by respiratory problems. She grew up in a coal-fired terraced house in inner Manchester. Her parents smoked, the house smoked, if she went outside for a breath of fresh air, outside smoked!
Clean air is a laudable aim.
But why do measures aiming for improvements always hit those who can cope least? Why are obvious targets such as air travel left relatively untouched? Who amongst us can afford to pay £40k for an electric vehicle? Not me.
Where is the logic in filling in fracking sites whilst importing vast amounts of gas? Proscribing a new coal mine in Cumbria whilst shipping in an inferior product from South America as it is a vital part of an industrial process?
I am just a simple soul, and easily perplexed; this lot perplexes the hell out of me.
Wish I could upvote this.

It looks like there is going to be a gap in energy availability where viable but 'dirty' energy is removed while eco alternatives aren't available in volume. Eg electric cars are too expensive or too crap. Heat pumps are too expensive and too crap. The EU has solved this by declaring gas and nuclear as eco energy.

https://www.dw.com/en/european-commissi ... a-60614990

Which is the way I suspect things will go. First introduce the pain then offer the pill to the desperate population.

I digress.

I will really miss diesel. It seemed to be the solution. There's a Fiat/alfa diesel 1.3 that will do 95mpg and 95bhp and is either zero or £20 in tax because it is so clean. In project fairy land in my head where I put engines into other things this would be a really nice engine for a Minor or Midget.

Back on topic, councils are just chasing money - flexitime and generous pensions won't pay for themselves.
Image
Maurice_Minor
Minor Friendly
Posts: 93
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:59 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by Maurice_Minor »

With all that is happening at the moment, a picture says a 1000 words.

IMG_4819.JPG
IMG_4819.JPG (176.8 KiB) Viewed 2863 times
Sleeper
Minor Legend
Posts: 1045
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2016 3:18 pm
Location: Manchester ( Damp and Miserable ) and that's just the wife...
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by Sleeper »

Wrong book , should be 1984....

John ;-)
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: War on Motorists

Post by MorrisJohn »

:lol:
Maurice_Minor wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 4:00 pm With all that is happening at the moment, a picture says a 1000 words.


IMG_4819.JPG
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
Post Reply