The nasty little fascists in government – local in this case – are letting no opportunity to slip by in their endless quest for power and control.
The first of a number of new measures planned in communities across South Gloucestershire to help pedestrians and cyclists move around whilst practising social distancing was put into place in Filton yesterday (Thursday 28th May).
The “solution” these power-crazed, gas-lighting scumbags have come up with is to cone off a lane on an already notoriously congested stretch of road. Well, that’s going to work well.
Their excuse for this madness?
“Our high streets will look and feel different as the lockdown is lifted over the weeks and months ahead. Shops, restaurants and cafes will need to trade outside immediately in front of their premises. We will need to provide extra space for people to get around safely and be able to maintain social distancing, whether on foot or by bike. There is only limited space available, so on-street road space for cars will need to reduce, however we will continue to maintain our network of council car parks and their associated free parking.”
I don’t know whether they’ve been on the Koolaid or think that we have – although, I seem to be coming across plenty of people who believe this utter claptrap – but this is insanity. This virus does not survive well in the open air. If you are cycling or walking in the middle of the summer, then social distancing is not necessary. But the cretinous council has decided that breathing more fumes caused by greater traffic congestion is the right solution.
Fuckwits.
But, then, these local authorities are crammed with anti-car nutters who were just waiting for the right excuse and here it is.
Cllr Steve Reade, Cabinet member for planning, transport and strategic environment, said:
“This period of lockdown has given us a once in a lifetime opportunity to look at how we use our roads and pathways and how we can best adapt for changes in use as more people opt to get around by walking and cycling, adopting new travel and activity habits whilst being subject to social distancing.”
“The change in Filton is the first of a range of measures we are looking to take to keep people safe, and because of the speed of their introduction they will be subject to regular constructive review.”
“As a Council we have a strong ambition to increase walking and cycling across the district, with around £6 million already being invested on a range of initiatives and schemes – many of which stem from feedback and suggestions we receive from residents.”
“We will look to announce additional schemes in due course.”
Steve Reade is a nasty little fascist. There was no need to do anything of the sort. If anything, this stretch of road needs to be widened to accommodate the traffic already using it – although the railway bridge might complicate matters.
And as a council tax payer, I do not want morons like Steve Reade to keep me safe. I don’t need him to keep me safe because I can do that for myself. What I want him to do is fuck off and do as little as possible so that he won’t disrupt my life.
It is currently working on a number of potential schemes across South Gloucestershire and further details of these will be announced over the coming weeks once they are confirmed.
God help us.
There are far too many of this type of control freak politician. I think you need a cull.
Councils attract the power-hungry who rise to the level of their own incompetence. Soon, after their inevitable almighty cockup, they are promoted sideways and so never brought to book.
Yes, nasty little fascists, but they’re following orders. This is Johnston and Sunaks ‘stimulate the economy’ – more cycle lanes, wider pavements, more Green Crap
It’s FT Front Page top story today:
– “Sunak looks to rebuild economy with plans for big job creation scheme”
FFS Gov’t can’t create real jobs. The best stimulation is reduce taxes and de-regulate
btw I’m watching man with balls Guy Martin D-Day Para – enjoying it
Good article on Spiked
The media story about Dominic Cummings has collapsed
As Timmy keeps pointing out, jobs are a cost.
Early one morning some years ago a half-wit was sent to this city to cause terror with a bomb but he just blew his hand off in the cafe toilet.
Naturally the authorities swung into action, started to evacuate city centre shops, businesses and dwellings. The bomber was quickly arrested and manacled in cleared out A&E. Local radio announced his name and where he was from telling us Police were looking for his associates in that place.
The evacuation was extended to more and more of the city even though the show was clearly over, blue lights buzzing around everywhere.
The radio announced ‘a further Incident’ in another busy street but I was there and all I could see were a few bored Police barring entry.
The 6th form College was evacuated 3 hours after the event and the ‘lockdown’ was still in place well into the evening.
I concluded that They had launched their Major Incident Protocol and then decided to let it roll by way of practice just to see how it went.
I think something similar is happening here, now.
There Was a serious threat, quickly receding, but They are seeing how much we will put up with. That point will be reached when they get round to launching their App as a number of ordinary folk have told me “They can do one…” and when people start getting told to self isolate (again !) for 2 weeks by a half trained Track n Trace operative recruited from the job centre or transferred from the 911 (?) NHS Corona helpline.
o/t the Telegraph YouTube channel has a reassuring video showing NYPD wearing Covid safe masks as they batter Concerned Citizens to the ground.
Forgot to add, the local council anti car zealots are just using the opportunity to try and implement the schemes they have been harbouring for 30 years or more. Our one blabs on about “bringing the future forward” whatever that means.
That’s precisely what it is. They let no opportunity go to waste.
I was lucky enough be born in NI and entire school life in “The Troubles” Op Banner
Bomb goes of in shop/pub – everyone blinks then carries on.. No plod or other over reaction ever
Two tales:
Saturday: Woolworths etc firebombed on Main Street, Sunday firemen still damping down, one hose has leak/jet. Church across road open and peeps leaving. Foot covers leak, parishioner passes, quick soak, cover & look innocent – giggle
Summer: walking to beach to play, a pub roof rises into air – Boom – roof falls back and a few slates fall off – everyone continues as normal
Anti-Car and induced congestion started by Left Councillor David Begg, Edinburgh in 1970s. Then he was an MP, then a Professor
Encountered him once: arrogant, rude and aggressive
My dad used to cycle to work. Three miles up the road with a couple of thousand others wearing their brown macs.
Then he got a car.
Unlike many others I have always lived within walking distance of my work. That is until my employer moved my work to new premises 25 miles away in the middle of a housing desert, a railway on one side, an industrial complex on another and a retail park on a third. Most people used a car, some the train and about a dozen a bike. These later wore special clothing for their 20 mile plus journeys so demanded changing rooms and showers. (My dad just had a peg to hang his coat on).
Back when my dad cycled to work my mum walked to the shops, six days a week. She could get most of what she needed within half a mile, the special stuff needed a trip on the bus into town. The local ‘shops’ are now pretty much all ‘fast food’ outlets. The nearest supermarket has a car park nearly as big as she used to walk to the shops. She never took a bike to the shops a) because she couldn’t ride one b) a standard bike couldn’t carry her shopping basket anyway.
It is going to take a lot more than coned-off roads to change the way we live.
I grew up in a little village in the 1960s and my memory of the times when most people didn’t have cars was that people just didn’t go anywhere. The village had a little shop and various vans selling bread, fish, meat, etc would have regular rounds. The highlight of the year was referred to as “Trip” which was a coach trip to Bridlington for one day. How those who think they rule us wish they could put the plebs back into their box.
I remember telling my O level Geography teacher that traffic was the governments fault because stupid zoning policy says you live in this zone, you work in that one and shop somewhere else.
He wasn’t having any of it and blamed selfish car drivers who should use the public transport provided.
I now recognize him for a stalinist prick.
I have a little problem. For some reason the comment system has inserted my real name into the username box. Is it possible to either delete the comment or change the username to Stonyground. Thanks.
That’s your browser, not WordPress. I get exactly the same over at Samizdata and Tim Worstall’s. The browser has memorised entries you’ve made in online forms. There’s nothing I can change at this end to stop it happening, you have to put in your moniker manually when leaving a comment.
Yes, I’ll be watching out for it now. Thanks for the quick response.
Being a cyclist and a motorist, my experience of cycle lanes painted onto urban roads is universally bad. They inconvenience drivers and are little use to cyclists as they are invariably poorly designed by people who have obviously never cycled in an urban environment. Unless of course screwing things up was your intention all along.
I avoid cycling on the public highway. We have a separated cycle path here and I only have to do a very short ride on the road to get to it.
We have a good few proper cycle paths in the Hull area. It was possible for me to cycle 11 miles to work with only short sections on the roads. For cycle fitness work I do circular routes on quiet back roads which are fine.
I always thought that Filton was part of Bristol, but if it has its own mayor, it cannot be
However Filton’s mayor is just as daft as Bristol’s!
Filton falls under South Gloucestershire Council, not Bristol City Council. We don’t have an elected mayor. The one thing I will say in SGC’s defence – it isn’t BCC, but that’s not saying much.
Filton: been to BAE there, they were a client. That’s all I know