Safe Speed Forums

Yes, nasty cute looking creatures that decimate the local wildlife population. I know because the one that lives with us regulaly leaves the undegistable remains just outside the house.

... electrified bowl of milk.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Interesting discussion - thanks for the data Pete.

Okay, so a whole bus only gives out as much CO2 as six cars. I appreciate that some people here don't see CO2 as posing a problem, but why are the other pollutants not in the same proportion - presumably they could, if they wanted to, make buses that have the same ratio between the various pollutants as cars?

i

It is a good point when you weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of public and private transport. Public transport needs to be better in a number of ways to private transport if it is going to win.

To my mind it is going to be difficult for public transport to be more convenient, clean and comfortable than private transport so what does it have in favour? Well the only thing is price, it has doubtful environmental benefits (although this would be reduced with massive take-up), it is un-convenient, smelly and you have to share it with people who smell and p1ss on you (yes I have used PT very much in the past and this happened on more than one occasion).

My wife bought a car because she was threatened and given abuse by drug and alcohol fuelled youths just one too many times (more than twice a week was the trigger) , people do not need this.

If public transport is going to work at has a very hard job to do – I know in inner city’s it is a marvellous mechanism all over the world – but that is a small % of all journeys taken and I can’t see it being addressed soon.

Cheers

Paul

There are two inherent problems with public transport.

The first is that it's expensive - it costs a lot of money to buy, run and maintain the vehicles, and then there's the staff required - drivers being only a small part. Even with subsidies, the cost is high. OK, you may argue that cars are also expensive when you take the purchase price, depreciation etc into account, but most people already have them - so it's better to use them than to leave them parked on the drive.

And, at the end of the day, the more it costs to transport people and goods, the more it costs the country as a whole - and that's all of us.

The second is capacity. PT currently accounts for less than 10% of person-miles, and would be even less if the average wasn't raised by London (which has the tube). Doubling the number of person-miles would require a more than doubling of vehicles, infrastructure etc, and would remove less than 10% of cars from the road. And, as most people travel at peak commuting times, that's where the extra capacity is really needed. But the tradeoff is that at off-peak times the service is underutilised as it is, so there would be a lot of buses riding around empty, or parked up - the drivers etc still having to be paid.

Cheers
Peter

_________________
Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

This site provides information relating to the costs of supporting the "Community Rail Network" - that's the small rural lines to you and me.http://www.transwatch.co.uk/transport-community-rail.htm
It is also scathing in it's comments regarding the lack of cost analysis in key areas of this, the Governments blueprint for the future of the railways!!

£300 million subsidy, divided by 1200 miles of community rail = £250,000 per mile!!! £684 for every mile of track, every day of the year!!
All those JARVIS and BALFOUR BEATIE vans driving around the country maintaining the track must contribute lots of pollution!!
The site goes on to conclude:

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

And which crap on my lawn too . And some of which bring on asthma attacks.

But, as you say, they do look cute

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Ah, but have you ever looked into the mouth of one? As it is about to bite you, they look hideous!
Sorry Mad Moggie, I just tell it how it is!!! Please pass on my apologies to your extended (extensive?) family!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I bought a new Honda Accord in 1990 and had it for 13 years, carburater version. In those 13 years it failed once on emissions, plugs were taken out, regapped and put back in, it passed.
For some time I was living in digs, the daughter of the couple who were landlady/lord, bought a newish car, with a cat fitted.
I regularly drove 15 miles each way to work and back, mostly on fast roads.
She drove to the police station and back some 1.5 miles, thats where she worked by the way, in slow and heavy traffic.

Which of us was kicking out the most pollution?

She was of course, the cat never got up to working temperature, so there were no effects on the exhaust at all.
She wouldn't have it that she needed to take it out for a fast run at least once a week to clear the exhaust out, and of course all the moisture build up.
Personally, I think we have been flim flammed over cats, it's just an expensive piece of equipment that isn't really needed, most modern engines would be just as clean without one, particularly in heavy slow traffic.
Trucks and buses are now being fitted with particulate filtration devices, one uses urea, and the other which is also on some cars, uses exhaust gas recirculation.

_________________
Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

I also suspect at least some of the motivation for campaigning for unleaded petrol and cats came from anti-car types who hoped these measures would strangle the performance of cars - as exhaust gas curbs initially did in the US.

Didn't work out that way, of course

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Oh yes. US Auto political correctness has had its day. Check out the 06 Mustang....old school style.

http://www.delattres.com/fords/06shelby/

The return of the muscle car.

_________________
Speed camera policy Kills

I'm a Birmingham-dweller, and I drive 15 minutes to work every morning. Costs me 20p because my car runs on LPG (emitting 40% less CO2 than pre-conversion!) and I can listen to my own music and stop at the shop on the way for milk.

I tried it on the bus once. It took me an hour, and the busses were noisy, hot, congested, and I had to get two of them.

I like driving.

Three adults and four children from Staveley to Windermere costs £13 There is still a 3/4 mile walk to my home - one adult and two of the children still have a 1 1/4 mile walk!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

..

I was going to say something very non-PC about folk in a nissan bluebird, but I won't....

_________________
Speed camera policy Kills

They are becoming more popular - but it is still cheaper to take two cars as the distance is a mere 2 3/4 miles!
I'm not sure, but I suspect the bus company receives a subsidy too, and the buses are not exactly new either - perhaps IanH could confirm!!!
They pump out smoke and oil in large amounts as anyone following one especially on a bike can attest to!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

..

London still run a few Routemasters...they first went into service 50 years ago...

My eldest daughter is 18. She is learning to drive and currently uses the bus to get to work and back. As soon as she can drive she will get a car and stop going by bus. That is her choice.

My wife and I both have cars, mine is a company car so i get screwed on tax. The irony is that the more the cars cost us to own the LESS likely we are to use public transport.

It really p*ses me off that the likes of Tw*tsport2000 bang on about how the cost of motoring has come down compared to the increase in the cost of public transport. The only reason is that market forces have forced increases in efficiency in automotive technology and manufacturing processes while public transport has been stuck in the dark ages. That’s not our fault so why advocate punishing us.

_________________
Speed camera policy Kills

Of course that's without the other good reason to avoid public transport that has been brought home to us in the last couple of weeks. It is busses and trains the terrorists target, not cars. That is why our politicians use cars.