Clean Air Greater Manchester

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  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2022 #62

     .... Cambridge has a very good public transport system with buses but ...

    it might be very good, but it has THE most expensive Park & Ride we've ever used ... & it was the first time I'd seen or heard of a Bus-rail 🤔

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #63

    It is a guided bus way  partly on the original rail route ,it has been beset with problems since first built at a cost far above what would have been to reinstate the railway ,the buses have additional guide wheels that steer the buses on a concrete road? Where the old railway track once was ,but they can also be used on public roads,

    But costs for Cambridge P&Rs  are nearly  self financing where other cities are subsidised by the local tax payer

    To cut costs and enhance the transport system   Sheffield. Trams can now run on the Heavy rail network in on certain routes under a special system that has been developed, ,which could have been better at Cambridge on the now bus way 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2022 #64

     ... It is a guided bus way  partly on the original rail route

    I know now ... I've been on it 🙄. I thought P&R were to reduce cars from a city/town centre, not something to be argued about cost over. I later discovered it was cheaper & more convenient to drive into Cambridge & pay for parking which seemed to me to defeat the whole idea of a P&R, where ever it is.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #65

    Depends in what part of the city is to be accessed, as trying to drive and park is an absolute nightmare and very expensive in some areas,,

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #66

    It's Just been announced by the GM Mayor that the scheme is to be reviewed next week due to whinging businesses.  

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #67

    Profit vs health 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2022 #68

    Am I right in thinking that some MHs are taxed as commercial & others are classed as motorhome? And does that make a difference as to whether the charge applies? 🤷‍♂️ And there's a difference in speed limits that apply? 

  • JohnM20
    JohnM20 Forum Participant Posts: 1,416
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    edited January 2022 #69

    On the pretext of reducing air pollution and wanting to increase the use of public transport our city council has just declared that a very short road (about 100 yards long) is now a bus lane (which they have marked up as "Bus Gate", apparently not a legally recognised term) and cars are banned. At the end of the road is a council operated car park as well as the council offices and numerous businesses. To now get to these places involves a journey of in excess of 12 times greater in distance and twenty times longer in time taking the extra vehicles onto an already very congested ring road which invariably has long queues of traffic at the two sets of traffic lights encountered on the journey. How in heaven's name is that reducing air pollution?

    For me to get to the businesses by public transport would involve three different buses and over an hour in journey time each way.

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #70
  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited January 2022 #71

    A few years ago, a major road between our town centre & the M66 was altered so that the 2 lanes were changed to 3. Two way traffic for cars and the 3rd lane for buses (& taxis?) only towards the town centre - but not all the way, was busses only. It caused MASSIVE congestion on the road, the buses in the bus only lane could only go so far before they were held up with the rest of the traffic. It lasted a couple of years before it was scrapped. We now have 2 lanes from the motorway and 1 to it & though not perfect is loads better than it was with a bus lane.

    I can't offer an alternative idea but the top & bottom of it is that there are too many vehicles on our roads because we all want our own space & travel when we want to. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited January 2022 #72

    A similar change of route happened nr Monkton Heathfield nr Taunton where a 100m section of the A38 was declared a Bus Lane and the original A38 was diverted right around a new housing estate with the obligatory half dozen roundabouts, most leading nowhere...

    however, the Highways Agency are happy to have all southbound traffic from Clarks village, heading for the M5, go through this new maze and the village of Bathpool and negotiate the horrendous traffic lights as they reach Taunton, but they then have to pass through the traffic negotiating the large retail park and cinema complex before reaching J25...

    solution, a simple south only exit road from A358 directly onto the M5 which would bypass the whole of the above without any new roads at all...

    re the congestion zones, both my car and MH are allowed into all the current zones, but that will change in a year or so...just another way of raising cash and putting folk off visiting towns and cities which, without suitable alternative easy methods into the city folk will not bother.

    a classic example is at Bath Newgate P&R which services traffic arriving from the south and west...height barriers so I can't park my MH there (as you'd think the council would want us to do?) and take the bus...

    yes, some other Bath P&R don't have barriers but why would I want to try and get to the other side of town just to park, why not have consistency in how the car parks work?

    it's things like this that lead to customer frustration and eventual apathy. 

     

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited January 2022 #73

    It's very frustrating to find the number of P&R's that have height barriers. It does rather defeat the object of them, particularly as the larger the vehicle, the more you want to keep them out of town centres.

  • iDriver
    iDriver Forum Participant Posts: 40
    edited January 2022 #74

    The level of self interest and ignorance in this discussion is appalling. This ‘zone’ is not like the one in London or other cities, it is 500 square mile, taking in the whole of greater Manchester. It is putting thousands of small businesses owners out of work. It will increase prices for everyone who lives in greater Manchester and even those who live outside the area but buy goods or services from within the area. If they can do it here that can do it where YOU live next, and if you think it will stop at cat5 and below you are living in a bubble, it will soon be all vehicles.

     

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #75

    The level of self interest and ignorance in this discussion is appalling.

    How rude.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #76

    Still has a very valid point thoughsurprised

  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,472 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #77

    Not really, mostly speculation. 

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited January 2022 #78

    I prefer to promote health & save lives than make money on the backs of folks suffering tbh🤷🏻‍♂️. If it spreads countrywide-good, I’ll pay more to support health👍🏻

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #79

    You come from the same area ? If so what is your definition of it

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #80

    At what point does the Clean Air Zone apply to normal cars? They seem to have been very selective in the classes of vehicles they have included in the list that will pay the charges. Including motorhomes is a bit strange in that there can hardly be that many that transit the roads of Manchester on a daily basis? Perhaps its because motorhomes are van derived that they feel they need to include them in order to have the same base vehicles treated the same?

    David

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #81

    I can see your point, and those living in more rural areas away from those areas do not really. understand the implications of how it affects  the citizens of those areas,in the short term ??

    Although, as in The London area 140 square miles most had adapted and until the pandemic hit there was  very good public transport services 

     

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited January 2022 #82

    JV, you are way off beam🤷🏻‍♂️. Folk who live in rural areas do actually travel to cities & large conurbations, they can also read & watch the TV that tells them what a devastating effect traffic borne pollution has on young lives. Remember-young folk are the ones suffering the higher pollution levels over a longer time.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,591 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2022 #83

    The level of self interest and ignorance in this discussion is appalling

    Self Interest? Really? The members on this discussion that support and are willing to live with these charges are the ones who seem to have the interests of the wider population at their heart rather than just themselves. If it was self interest then  no-one would be advocating or accepting such a charge. I have read some of these members comments on other threads and found that they have legitimate concerns, as I have, about the toxic levels of pollutants harming children and the vulnerable. That's not self interest.

    Ignorance? Well, that it is completely understandable from those members and contributors who haven't got such a charge anywhere near them, which will be the majority of the contributors. Some, like myself, have come across these "Green" charges when travelling abroad and those members who travel into London etc. that currently operate them. I don't think such ignorance can be called appalling at all. It is up to those people like yourself to state the argument on the ground either for or against in order to enlighten rather than just insult people.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #84

    Thats for you to think?    ,as you have posted live in a small East Yorkshire village,? you will not be affected as those who live in large ,cities ,  I can remember the smogs,,  with most food and other companies now doing home deliveries  there is less need  for many to travel to cities at all as most now have P&Rs

    ,Also as I stated there was a lot of hand wringing when the LEZs were introduced but it seems ,apart from the vocal few , most of the populations have adapted

     

     

     

  • Unknown
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    edited January 2022 #85
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited January 2022 #86

    I’m afraid it’s not ‘for me to think’ at all its the Govt’s of the world & WHO(World Health Organisation) they trump both you & me. This isn’t a contest of wills it’s just my choice. I am a supporter of any way pollution can be reduced to help all of us👍🏻

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #87

    And your latest vehicle is??surprised

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited January 2022 #88

    JV, your game playing & point scoring attempts in the face of such a serious subject is unacceptable-I’m done.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #89

    Bit like a post of yours on another thread     ,one cannot post as you have without any retort, that you have again tried to sidestepsurprised 

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited January 2022 #90

    Ok JV, thanks.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited January 2022 #91

    Your welcome read and digest in futurewink

    Ps your post on the other thread is just supposition as wellwink