Douglas Traffic Update

[Ripsaw]

In 1999 IOM Government set up the Integrated Transport Working Party

...as a result of the Department of Transport's ongoing commitment to promote an "integrated transport policy" in order to meet the needs of the Island's internal traffic...

In 2001 consultants were appointed to create a 'Traffic model' to investigate and predict growth of the amount and movements of traffic in and around Douglas.

 

Also in 2001 the Integrated Transport Working Party published a 75-page report which included a recommendation to commision a study into the cost of creating a light railway system to ease traffic congestion coming into and within Douglas.

 

In 2003 TAS Partnership of Preston were appointed at a cost of £10,000 to investigate the viability of such an operation. The consultation consisted mainly of handing out questionaires to motorists to be filled in and posted back.

 

IRIS was underway and part of the questioning refered to using the soon to be updated and improved railway for the purpose of the afore mentioned light railway. In August of 2003 Minister of Tourism and Leisure David Cretney announced that due to public responces submitted no further action would be taken at that time.

...Based on a conservative cost of £1m for a new train the service would be unlikely to meet a 'value for money' test....

 

...'However, in a different financial climate, that decision would be reconsidered.'...

 

Move forward to November 2005 and another consultation is undertaken. This time JMP Consulting were appointed at a cost of £25,000 "to investigate and predict growth of the amount and movements of traffic in and around Douglas" and to update the 2001 traffic model.

 

This consultation was required because

...Improvements to traffic management that the updated model will provide will also encompass projected new developments within the buoyant economy, including possibly two new hotels, offices and housing....

.

 

Earlier this year it was announced that the DOT were to purchase land owned by the Steam Packet that had become available as part of their asset stripping exercise. The sale recently went through at a cost to the taxpayer of £8m. Ironicly, the local paper reported that MHKs were a little miffed as

The site in question is adjacent to the Lord Street site, that will be turned into a hotel and apartment complex by UK-based developers Askett Hawk...

 

...Government have already agreed to sell the similar-sized site for £2m, meaning it is potentially losing £6m on the deal...

The purchase was defended by Captain Brew of the Harbours Department with the wise words

the DoT may not need all the land and other uses for some parts may be identified. The Steam Packet will lease back its headquarters.

Sorry, I digress....

 

One suggestion for the land was to increase car parking spaces either for harbour users, the general public or a combination of the two, which brings me back to my point...

 

On Thursday of this very week (yesterday to be exact), the latest progressive step was taken when

Ways of tackling the increasing traffic problems in central Douglas have been discussed at a top-level workshop...

The outcome of this latest consultation and 'workshop?

'This traffic growth consists of two elements – the simple year-on-year increase in the number of vehicles and the additional traffic arising from new development.

 

'Traffic growth impacts in two ways, traffic on roads and demand for parking spaces.

 

'We need to focus on whether to continue with predicting traffic needs and trying to provide for that need, or to examine demand management and model change.

I know that I am not normally known for accusing government of wasting time, money and oxygen...

 

It has been noted by some that I have on a number of occasions advocated the using of the railways as a means of cutting down on vehicle reliance on the understanding that it done with other measures that would encourage its use. My rants predated the TAS consultation and probably date back to around the time of the 2001 consultation although I was not aware of it at the time.

 

There is no evidence that this latest 'meeting of minds' is the end of the story and most likely it will continue for some years to come.

 

So for all these years we have another unresolved consultation, further increases to traffic, the Millenium Bridge (which was one of the worst conceived traffic management ideas in the history of bad ideas), a plot of land that the Government themselves overvalued by £6m., and a money losing railway that has some claim has no value to an "Intergrated Transport Policy".