View Single Post
  #1   Report Post  
Old December 7th 04, 11:15 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Dave Arquati Dave Arquati is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,158
Default "Commuter Strike"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4075559.stm

Basically, the pressure group "Commuter Voice" wants travellers to
boycott TfL public transport on 20 December. They want tube fares to be
fixed for three years, being pegged to inflation after that. They also
want the following, according to their website at www.busandtube.co.uk:

On the Roads….
- No extension of Congestion Charge Zone – and a process to end the
charging already in place
- An independent report into the proliferation and use of Speed Cameras,
and operations of Parking attendants
- Support for the end of commission/bonus incentives for Traffic Wardens
- 30% reduction in parket permit charges by 2010
On the Buses…
- More Bus Lanes
- Public transport only streets
- A bus zone in central London where Bus Lanes are unbroken throughout
the zone
- Readily identified personal number for all drivers
On the tube…
- 3-year price freeze on Tube fares
- Inflation-linked rise in Tube fares from 2008
- End to Zone one charging when just travelling through the zone.
In the work place…
- Incentives to encourage Flexible working and ‘Working from home’
arrangements.

My current opinion is that they are being completely ridiculous. They
want massively improved transport, but don't want to pay for it. Of
particular interest, they want to scrap the congestion charge, but want
a huge improvement in bus services; they also want people to overcrowd
Tube services in Zone 1, but not to pay for using the most
intensively-used sections of the network.

Parking attendant concerns I can probably understand (although a
specific "30% reduction" in tickets seems rather arbitrary; would they
like someone to park in their residents' only bay, but have the traffic
warden say "sorry, I can't make them move, or I won't be able to achieve
my percentage reduction for this month"?

Bus lanes, unbroken bus lanes and PT-only streets are great, but I
presume they will take roadspace for these from the extra influx of cars
that return to the congestion charging zone once charging stops, causing
almighty gridlock? Besides, significant segregation is planned for the
four proposed tram and transit schemes; look how far that's got the West
London Tram.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London