How can congestion be reduced in busy towns and motorways without drivers incurring any costs?
A city in Italy tried the alternate number plate system mentioned by an earlier answerer – it didn’t work because people just bought a second car! The congestion is a problem that has been getting progressively worse for decades. I believe that it’s a function of people’s ability to travel further to work which then becomes an acceptance of longer journeys. No measure should be left unused, as no one solution is ideal for everyone. Yes to more buses, trains, etc. Allow companies to give tax breaks to employees who car share. Install showers at workplaces so that people can use a cycle ride to work as an alternative to the gym. The Dutch style of bike seems poorly represented in the UK – a sports bike is fine for those that do want a workout, but a sit-up and beg with fitted mud/chain guards, dynamo lights, hub brakes and gears is just so sensible it’s a crying shame they aren’t available off the shelf in Halfords. Staggered start times will help, but most businesses don’t function in i
Car go through towns because there are inadequate by passes. Do proper ring roads and cars go round not through. The DO NOT keep building junctions from housing estates into these ring roads. Also NO roundabouts they slow getting to where they want to go and waste fuel. Lets have proper slip roads. We pay the money in car tax how about spending it to the benefit of those that pay instead of taking another lot to stop them getting to their destination. BTW cars take two or three times at least as much fuel to go through instead of round.
A lot of the problem stems from two areas. First the planning process which puts shopping and jobs miles away from housing. Second the problem of having two people working as it is inevitable that if one has a good job in one place their partner will get transferred or promoted to somewhere miles away. Our employment processes dictated by successive governments ensuring two incomes are required to live mean commuting has become an economic necessity. Pricing the journey to work out of the means of lower paid workers will only produce more economic problems for the country. Solutions??? better public transport, reduction in miles out of town shopping for everyday items, more affordable housing in towns, not out of town, no housing estates without basic amenities you can walk to such as shops pubs primary and secondary schools and good reliable cheap public transport into towns. Open up multi use use shops and post offices in every village and housing estate, ensure pubs are built and ke
In this modern 24 hour computer age, congestion could be reduced by forcing offices to open 24 hours, with staggered start and finish times away from the traditional 9 to 5 mentality. Why should it be just the ‘manual worker’ who has to endure the anti social work hours of shift work ( my start time is between 3 and 7 AM) — and the roads can revert to their original use – the transportation of freight , and passenger carrying vehicles. Get rid of the 50 + mile commute, by firms opening offices closer to where the workforce is ,(or work from home) not in some poxy city like London. Closing all motor way ON ramps at times of high congestion to private cars with less than 3 occupants, but allowing work related , ie ‘tradesmen’s vans’ on. The M6 thru the West Midlands ,for instance : A new road from Stafford via Telford to Worcester – M5 ( to the west side of Birmingham, for the geographically challenged) would reduce the daily congestion at jn 8 (for M5 south) as a fair amount of traffic
The government could put sensors on lights ,so we would’nt be sat waiting for traffic thats not there ,Or the ability to turn left on a red light if is safe to do so [similair to america].Both these are enviromentally good and cut congestion .I doubt either will be taken up because they will cost money ,or a charge could be applied on roads it wont stop people using them but there is a profit on the horizon mmm! which do I think will appeal !! .. On the motorway issue I can only suggest roadworks at night where possible [yes I know extra cost] but I dont think there is a cure ,charges wont do it ,people still need to get there mmm! another profit on the horizon !! The earlier motorways designers could be forgiven for underestimating traffic growth but later ones i.e m25 from the day it was opened was to small in lanes a little bit of false economy there I think, paying the price now though!!
