Had a chance to watch BBC Breakfast today and there was a very interesting bit on councils switching off street lights. Now I can see no problem with this as working the times I do I can often travel the 12 miles to work and I am the only person about, yet for a lot of that journey the road is illuminated by lots of street lights. Perhaps roads could do with illumination but not every 100m especially as vehicle lighting is so good. My opinion is that the safer you try and make things the more risks people seem to take. My first car, a Morris Marina , although would go about 80mph you had no hope of stopping, so you didn't go 80mph! Most modern cars will go at least 100mph and do have the brakes etc to stop and be controlled. However, most motorists do not have the reactions/skills to travel safely at that speed but still take risks, seeming to believe that having an Air bag etc will protect them. So back to the original question. I am sure when I was young that street lights were turned off at about 0100, can anyone confirm this? Also would it not make sence to turn off traffic lights between 0100 and 0500 or replace them with a 'flashing amber' system.
If you missed the programme you can view it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11210497
7 Sept 2010
5 Sept 2010
Quiet Road
A few weeks ago the road outside the house was resurfaced. It was resurfaced with Micro Asphalt. This seems to be the new way around the BANES are and results in a very nice smooth surface. It means the road noise is reduced by about 50%, that makes a previously noisy area now at times deadly quiet which is very welcome. However I have discovered a rather nasty side affect of this. That is you can not always hear vehicles approaching! I wonder how long it will be before someone gets run over?
1 Sept 2010
Early Running
This seems to have become a major issue (as it should) with both VOSA and the Traffic Commissioner becoming involved running a covert operation to check if buses are leaving stops early. This is the Traffic Commissioner view on the subject.
6. It should be the overriding aim of operators to run their registered services to their published times. Nevertheless it is accepted that traffic and other hazards, such as road works, can cause short-term problems, and Commissioners therefore accept that a bus may be delayed in these circumstances. But they can see no justification for a bus to run early.
7. Whilst operators state that passengers, once aboard, do not like to be kept waiting if an early-running bus has to slow down to conform to the timetable, Commissioners believe that this is preferable to prospective passengers either missing an early-running bus or being kept waiting for a
late-running one, particularly in inclement weather and at the many stops where no shelter is provided, and represents the better option whereby the passenger should be reassured by timetable information that the destination will be reached on time.
This makes perfect sense and most of the time there are no problems. Most drivers do their best to keep to the timetable and do not intentional run early. However we are all human and once in a while you make a mistake reading the running card and suddenly find you are early. The common sense view is to stop as soon as you notice, however at present we seem to in a situation where it appears drivers have been sacked for this without any apparent right of appeal. I now find that I spend a lot of the time checking times (as I should) but also not leaving a stop until the exact time. Most people would say 'and so it should be' But some of the timing points are in some difficult places. Common sense states that if you find you are blocking a road or blocking a stop from other buses you move off. With the prospect of a disciplinary hearing possibly leading to dismissal I have found myself 'getting in the way' on more than one occasion. Timing is always an issue due to variations, in weather, school times etc. I would not like to be a scheduler! The bottom line of this is that all buses should run on time but will sometimes run late. However, they should never, never run early. Meanwhile back in the real world.
6. It should be the overriding aim of operators to run their registered services to their published times. Nevertheless it is accepted that traffic and other hazards, such as road works, can cause short-term problems, and Commissioners therefore accept that a bus may be delayed in these circumstances. But they can see no justification for a bus to run early.
7. Whilst operators state that passengers, once aboard, do not like to be kept waiting if an early-running bus has to slow down to conform to the timetable, Commissioners believe that this is preferable to prospective passengers either missing an early-running bus or being kept waiting for a
late-running one, particularly in inclement weather and at the many stops where no shelter is provided, and represents the better option whereby the passenger should be reassured by timetable information that the destination will be reached on time.
This makes perfect sense and most of the time there are no problems. Most drivers do their best to keep to the timetable and do not intentional run early. However we are all human and once in a while you make a mistake reading the running card and suddenly find you are early. The common sense view is to stop as soon as you notice, however at present we seem to in a situation where it appears drivers have been sacked for this without any apparent right of appeal. I now find that I spend a lot of the time checking times (as I should) but also not leaving a stop until the exact time. Most people would say 'and so it should be' But some of the timing points are in some difficult places. Common sense states that if you find you are blocking a road or blocking a stop from other buses you move off. With the prospect of a disciplinary hearing possibly leading to dismissal I have found myself 'getting in the way' on more than one occasion. Timing is always an issue due to variations, in weather, school times etc. I would not like to be a scheduler! The bottom line of this is that all buses should run on time but will sometimes run late. However, they should never, never run early. Meanwhile back in the real world.
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