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Britain has worst transport system in europe

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
BBC Story

Hmmm so our governments have let the transport system deteriorate for the past 25 years to the current state its in today. They say they have a 10 year plan to pump 180 billion pounds into the system...I wonder what the situation would be today had they not given 200 billion of taxpayers money to finance the rebuilding of the infrastructure of various continental European nations.

Maybe Tony will stop paying for Italian motorways or Portugese bridges and actually start working for Britains interests.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Balddog:

    Maybe Tony will stop paying for Italian motorways or Portugese bridges and actually start working for Britains interests.

    Doubt it.

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Doubt it.

    I guess thinking he might do the job he was elected for might be wishful thinking.

    He wont stop gallavanting around the world until he has carved his name in the history books. Unfortunately for him he will be remembered as anything but a great man. Selling out and ignoring his country. I think he will be remembered as one of the greatest villains in our history.

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ask the Americans what the think of Maggie.

    Tony will be the same - loved abroad, but dispised here for ignoring the plight of his own people.

    Oh well. I din't vote for him anyway, at least I can sleep at night
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I dont think anyone voted for the cheating **** . I hope he dies.

    It matters not who won or lost, but how you place the blame.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He will..... everyone does. <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif"&gt;

    What was wrong with maggie? <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/wink.gif"&gt;
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Labour got in on the votes of about 25% of the population. Democracy?

    Blair should be brought up on charges of treason...Hes done more to damage this country as anyone I can think of...Hell hes more of a traitor than those muslim guys who went off to fight for the taliban.

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He's definitely not a patriot, he has outlawed patriotism.
    The sooner he stops sending our armed forces to godforsaken little hell holes like Sierra Leone and spending the money used on improving equipment the better.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    but he has a horrible job that nobody but the brain-damaged want (hence the way absolutely everyone complains, no matter who is elected) and is doing his best . . .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yep it's terrible! What we need is a fully integrated transport system.

    All evil needs to thrive is for good men to sit back and do nothing
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, Britain probably has the worst transport system in Europe. Still, don't forget that Britain has just about the worst everything else in Europe as well, so what can we expect really?

    Being British sucks <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/frown.gif"&gt;
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The story made an interesting point that Britain is "the most car dominated country in Europe". Why is this?

    Historically, Britain's public transport has spent the last 50 years in a state of decline. Tram systems have been dismantled and railways have been cut back because it was assumed that the car would be the transport of the future. Then suddenly along comes the environmental lobby who say that cars pollute and are bad for the environment. Suddenly the government wants to encourage more use of public transport. The only trouble is, the public transport just isn't there, so people stay in their cars. Hence the fuel crisis; the government thought taxation of fuel would make more people use public transport. The reality was that (a) many people didn't have the option, and (b) the public transport itself was also made more expensive by the high fuel costs. People will only use public transport when it is a realistic alternative to the car.

    In Europe, there has been no such rundown of public transport. Germany and other European countries still have tram systems. France and Spain have been building new railways while Britain has been dismantling them.

    I think the cause here is cultural. Britain is very much influenced by American car culture (we all live out of town and drive everywhere) whereas Europe has much more of a traditional culture, where everyone lives near their place of work and shops at the local store. I think its time to bring back the good old days when we all walked or cycled to work and our food was bought from the local corner shop. This will need massive investment. Conditions in inner cities will need improving. Tram systems will need to be rebuilt. This will take time and money but I think it is an achievable goal.

    If at first you don't succeed, hit it with a bigger hammer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The SOLE reason why the UK uses its cars much more than Europe is that our public transport system is a total joke. If it worked on time and wasnt so bloody expensive then people would use it.

    American culture has no bearing on this at all. The reason we live out of cities is because cities are shitholes. People grow older and realise what a bad idea raising kids in a crowded inner city area is so they move to the suburbs.

    Europe has a traditional culture? In regard to transport they are almost indentical to us except they have a working public transport system. Everyone lives near their place of work and shops in local stores? Have you ever been to the continent? That might be the case in the tourist areas and rural communities but they have suburbs and shopping centres just like us.

    Walk or cycle to work? In England? Im sure i dont need to tell you how cold it is or how often it rains, you living in liverpool and all. Its just not practical.

    I think the keywords in your post are massive investment....Thats just not going to happen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It all depends on where you live. Space, I think has got an excellent public transport system. Due tor ecent changes services are "different" as people have got to get used to the new timetabes, but they are still good. They are fairly cheap and we have a tram system on the way. So not everywhere is bad, same goes for London, what I wouldn't give for a tube system as efficient as theirs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it's not efficeint, whowhere, it's just a case of working in numbers.

    if u put enought trains down those pipes, one of them is BOUND to arrive every few minutes. the timetable is largely meaningless. but, at the end of the day, it works, which is why people use it. privatisation of the tube would be a huge mistake, simply because a private company would have to cut down on costs. best way to do that would be to cut down the number of trains running. wouldn't be nearly as cost efficient.

    so down with cost efficiency, up with a public transport system like the tube.

    oooh how people would hate me <IMG alt="image" SRC="http://www.thesite.org/ubb/tongue.gif"&gt;

    The ignorance is mind numbing
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle:
    oooh how people would hate me

    Would?!

    All evil needs to thrive is for good men to sit back and do nothing
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Gotta admit that he has a point. The Tube may not be efficient, but it IS effective. SUrely that's what we really want...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere obviously doesn't use the Tube regularly but I absolutely agree that it could be the answer. It goes everywhere and since all trains stop at every station on their line, it is easy to use. But it's old and decrepit and needs investment. Public transport is fine if you live close enough to the stations but cars are the only solution if you live out in the sticks. Cars provide freedom which public transport can never offer. Also when we drive our cars we have some control over our journey - if we drive well we don't have accidents - whereas if we use public transport we put our lives in the hands of the driver.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Kentish Man:
    if we drive well we don't have accidents - QUOTE]

    Are you sure?? I know many experienced drivers got accidents, it may not be their own faults though.
    <IMG alt="image" SRC="confused.gif" border="0">

    I live and work in London and use the tube everyday. I don't drive, so I have to relie on public transport. The tube is great, it just needs refurbising and more advanced technology to make it run smoother.

    [ 09-12-2001: Message edited by: NiceK ]
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by NiceK:
    <STRONG>
    Are you sure?? I know many experienced drivers got accidents, it may not be their own faults though.
    <IMG alt="image" SRC="confused.gif" border="0">
    </STRONG>

    but if we ALL drive well, the chances of accidents would at least be greatly reduced.

    it's just the vast percentage of drivers are not that good (possibly because at least 50% of them are female.....)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Turtle:
    <STRONG>
    it's just the vast percentage of drivers are not that good (possibly because at least 50% of them are female.....)</STRONG>

    U CANT SAY THAT!!!
    lol, the reason women think they are safe drivers is because they are too safe. They cause so many accidents through undue hesitation.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by NiceK:
    <STRONG>
    Are you sure??
    </STRONG>
    Yes.
    <STRONG>I know many experienced drivers got accidents, it may not be their own faults though.</STRONG>
    Experienced does not mean good. Some older drivers have no concept of other road users - especially motorcycles.

    The tube is a great idea. It stops everywhere and runs a frequent service. But it needs to be extended and modified to compete with cars, even in London where the only reason people choose not to drive is the traffic rather than a cheap and quicker alternative (which will never exist).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Cars versus public transport:

    Cars
    Cars take you door to door.
    You can get all your shopping in a car (very hard to do on a bus).
    You don't have to wait ages for a bus/train etc to come along.
    You can smoke (if that is your preference).

    PT
    Public transport leaves all the stressful driving to the professionals.
    You don't have to find a parking space.
    You can eat/read/sleep/use the phone.
    You can meet new people <IMG alt="image" SRC="wink.gif" border="0"> .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Driving is also fun in itself. Public transport to get around once you have made it to the city, but if you live in the countryside then most of the arguments for public transport fail because it is so unreliable if it exists at all.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    4 those in oxford you'll know the OTS (Oxford Transport Strategy) In short it means close as many roads to private cars as u can, add traffic lights unnessarly and create oxfords own mini M25! The fundermental flaw is all bus routes go from town centre to the suburbs and vice veres. Dont thay know some ppl want to go from the outskirts to the outskirts on the other side without going via town centre and changing twice on the way.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And that's exactly why public can never work - because we don't all want to go to/from the same place at the same time. Oxford is a mess I agree, and I don't even live there. Pedestrianisation is one thing but the Oxford system seems only to have shifted the problem to other roads just outside the centre, and thus it creates bottle-necks.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just out of interest... what are peoples views on the M4 bus lane, and such-like?
    That empty lane next to the two lanes of traffic jam.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Damned fine! I hate traffic where you've got blues and twos going and you cannot get anywhere, emergency vehicles make good use of buslanes, damned fine!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hang on! I can see the good points of having my own car rather than using public transport. But don't forget people like me who don't have a driving license would need to spend a fortune to sit the driving lessons. When and if I pass, then I would need to buy a car. Even when I have a car, I would still need to spend a lot on petrol, not to mention repairing and insurance. Nobody ever mentioned that! It will work out more expensive to drive than to use public transport in the end. <IMG alt="image" SRC="wink.gif" border="0">
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well since starting driving lessons i'm just itching to get a car. Yes yes the it will cost alot but its the freedom to go where i want when i want thats got me sold.
    I think trains are good for long trips though. I would prefer to take the train if i was going to a city i didn't no rather than drive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was reading something that seems ridiculous- in India railway lines take up 4 times what the railway lines do in England, but their system is more efficient than ours and has less than a 5th of the budget of ours. We should try and copy the railway systems in former-communist countries like the czech republic which is really efficient-in the day you never have to wait more than 4 mins for a train and at night, no more than 7.
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