Poor TfL?

Posted on 16th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

TfL is getting a £1.9bn bail-out because revenue from fares and the congestion charge have collapsed. When I last looked, TfL’s budget was over £5bn a year, with 100 managers on salaries of over £100,000, with BUPA and generous pension provision among the perks. Much of TfL’s vast budget is spent on vexatious traffic control, and the con charge was introduced before the sociable Equality Streets approach was even tried.

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Sledgehammer

Posted on 16th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is banning cars and vans from central London “to make roads safe and improve air quality”. Of course these could be achieved without the sedgehammer blow of an outright ban: by shifting the power balance in favour of the vulnerable, making drivers responsible for road safety, and allowing only clean-fuel cars, vans, buses and taxis from entering the zone.

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Humankind

Posted on 12th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

In Humankind: A Hopeful History, Rutger Bregman says we are brainwashed into believing that we are a no-good, selfish species. We are “built” to trust each other, but society creates systems that bring out the evil in us. It could be a summary of my take on traffic control v the people, and endorses what I write about in these pages!

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Traffic policy and the law

Posted on 11th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

“The trouble with the law is it excludes commonsense,” said historian and former Supreme Court Judge, Lord Sumption, on PM today. “We are quite capable of getting through this by using our survival instincts and exercising commonsense, without the interference of the nanny state” (or words to that effect). His remarks referred to Covid-19, but apply equally to traffic and the law, echoing many of my own remarks on the subject.

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Peaceful coexistence

Posted on 9th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

There are calls to allocate more road space to cycling and walking. That’s fine, as long as it goes hand in hand with deregulation. Otherwise, the cycle of coercive control will continue to maximise emissions, cause needless delay and road rage. No traffic lights and no artificial priority will bring lower speeds and the elimination of accidents where control plays a disruptive role. Given equality, walkers, wheelchair users, children, blind people, cyclists, riders and drivers will be able to coexist in peace.

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Cross about crossing the road!

Posted on 8th May 2020 by Martin Cassini

“You take a risk every time you cross the road,” said Nick Robinson on the Today Prog this morning. It shows how ingrained is unquestioning acceptance of the unacceptable. There should be no risk in crossing the road. It would be so easy to make roads safe. Abolish the rule of priority. Replace it with equality. Make drivers morally and legally responsible for safety. Stop requiring children to learn age-inappropriate road safety drill! Ffs!

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HS2 v H20

Posted on 3rd May 2020 by Martin Cassini

The car is a self-isolating transportation device par excellence. Instead of pouring billions into 19C technology – trains – shouldn’t the state be investing in 21C tech, redesigning the public realm to express equality, eliminating bottlenecks, and creating infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles?

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Another nail in coffin

Posted on 1st May 2020 by Martin Cassini

Brake dust is as bad as diesel for producing tiny particles that penetrate heart, lungs and bloodstream. It may be even worse because it produces them in greater quantities. The stop-start drive cycle caused by traffic lights and priority junctions increases massively the release of particulates from both sources. Allowing traffic to filter at low speeds would vastly reduce these pollutants that are killing us softly. Independent article here.

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Traffic lights still “working”

Posted on 5th April 2020 by Martin Cassini

One of the photographs in Sophie Raworth’s illustrated narrative about a deserted London  shows traffic lights still operating. An opportunity to switch off the lights and save power is being squandered. Of course no heads will roll for this abundant waste.

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The overreaching state

Posted on 5th April 2020 by Martin Cassini

A new threat issued from Health Minister, Matthew Hancock, today. The government will introduce stronger measures, e.g. banning exercise outside the home, if “people” continue to flout edicts by foregathering (as distinct from twogathering?). There are parallels with traffic control which punishes the majority for the (often harmless) infringements of the minority. He should watch his step. The British public can be pushed too far. Why does it kowtow to an unacceptable traffic control system? Because it crept up on them unawares.

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