Motorists Could Pay To Travel Into Douglas....

[Max Power]

I do not understand the aversion to paying for public transport, it is a lot cheaper than using a car! It just needs upgrading.

Moving businesses out of Douglas would be a brave move and would need to be incentivised. It wouldn't keep traffic off the road either, just move it around!

[ramsea]

I do not understand the aversion to paying for public transport, it is a lot cheaper than using a car! It just needs upgrading.

Moving businesses out of Douglas would be a brave move and would need to be incentivised. It wouldn't keep traffic off the road either, just move it around!

 

I disagree that public transport is a lot cheaper than using a car...maybe if you have a car with a big engine, but a small modern car would at a guess only use around £3 - £4 petrol a day and if youre driving with a full capacity, £10 a week of your mates towards the petrol works out cheaper.

 

Also, as I live in Ramsey and work in Douglas, I value the hour and a half + a day I save travelling.

 

There should be incentives for people to car share.

 

I'm liking the idea of all public transport should be free. I am curious how much the buses actually cost to run...and as its usually only empty or full of old people with bus passes or children with their 10p/half fare Id be interested in what their takings are like as well.

[stookie]

One of the major problems with 'consultations' of this kind is that they consist of groups of theorists - people whose only experience of using the roads in the town is driving to work in the morning and going home in the evening.

People such as taxi drivers, for example - who provide a 24-hour service on the roads - are never consulted or asked to offer any opinions; nor are the bus drivers, delivery drivers, cyclists & motor cyclists (who have specialized problems) and other groups who might be able to offer different perspectives.

 

I agree with the first half of this comment and more context is needed by those in the 'think tanks' who, according to the newspaper article unanimously agreed there was traffic congestion in Douglas (WTF are these people talking about?). And while taxi, bus and delivery drivers have specialised problems, they include the worst and least considerate drivers on the road!

 

Just an ounce of common sense is needed, but those kind of people never get invited to the meetings!

 

As for using narrow gauge trains to commute in the Isle of Man, wouldn't it be quicker to walk?

[Tugger]

Surely some of the departments of the government could be relocated to Ramsey quite easily. Why, for instance, are some DOT people in the Sea Terminal?

 

I don't think that the argument that traffic isn't as bad here as the South of England holds much water. If people here think it is bad, and it can be improved (and this would appear to be the case) then why wait until it's like rush hour Cairo?

[manxchatterbox]

Surely some of the departments of the government could be relocated to Ramsey quite easily. Why, for instance, are some DOT people in the Sea Terminal?

I don't think that the argument that traffic isn't as bad here as the South of England holds much water. If people here think it is bad, and it can be improved (and this would appear to be the case) then why wait until it's like rush hour Cairo?

 

 

yes why are some DOT in the Sea Termianl...the Dept Tourism has moved out to Finch Road why doesn't the DOT move out...to Ramsey...then a restaurant could go back...will the new man in charge make the sensible move or will he want the view??...

[hboy]

If someone can GUARANTEE my car if left in a Park and Ride car park would never get tw*tted by another careless/selfish motorist or damaged by a vandal, then I might be persuaded to use them. As for more evening working, this isn't China yet, so I don't think we want our quality of home life to change that much

 

That was the original failed "park and ride" experiment years ago. Park at Pulrose Power Station and whilst you're being whisked into work some knob is chucking a breeze-block through your window. Countless cars got vandalised. That is why it was a failure.

 

All the ideas are stupid and work on the assumption that Douglas has a conjestion problem. I think most people here know that it does not. Of all the cars coming into Douglas tomorrow morning they are going to Douglas High School (out of Central Douglas), Ballakermeen (just outside), St Mary's, (outside) Fairfield (just inside), Ballaquayle (outside), Ballacloan (just inside) etc. Once you are actually IN central Douglas there is no problem at all.

 

Its total madness. The roads have not been busy (except for race closures) for the last 6 weeks. They would be better putting a better school bus service on than all this bollocks so that the school run congestion is culled.

[Minxie]

All the ideas are stupid and work on the assumption that Douglas has a conjestion problem. I think most people here know that it does not. Of all the cars coming into Douglas tomorrow morning they are going to Douglas High School (out of Central Douglas), Ballakermeen (just outside), St Mary's, (outside) Fairfield (just inside), Ballaquayle (outside), Ballacloan (just inside) etc. Once you are actually IN central Douglas there is no problem at all.

 

Its total madness. The roads have not been busy (except for race closures) for the last 6 weeks. They would be better putting a better school bus service on than all this bollocks so that the school run congestion is culled.

 

There are school bus services for Ballakermeen and St Ninian's which are used by plenty of children. For the primary school however, it's not really feasible to stick very young children onto a bus and send them off to school on their own. As you are not allowed to leave junior alone at school until 08:55 that doesn't leave working parents much time to either get another bus from school to work or walk to the centre of town which is why most parents have to drive. I would love to walk to work every day, but time constraints of work and school hours don't allow unfortunately.

[stookie]

People are coming into work some 20 minutes later than usual this morning, having left their houses at the same time they have been doing all summer, but having forgotten that the schools are back in today.

 

Doubtless there are 500% more stupid great 4x4s on the roads today as well....

 

They need those for their off-road capabilities - like driving onto kerbs, that sort of thing

[BigDave]

I've never understood the obsession with MPVs and 4x4s people get when they have one or two children. I drive a pretty normal medium sized hatchback and have more than enough space for 4 adults each with two week's worth of clothes (as tested on a recent airport run). Children are by their very nature quite small beings, why the hell do they need so much space?

[Albert Tatlock]

I've never understood the obsession with MPVs and 4x4s people get when they have one or two children. I drive a pretty normal medium sized hatchback and have more than enough space for 4 adults each with two week's worth of clothes (as tested on a recent airport run). Children are by their very nature quite small beings, why the hell do they need so much space?

Just wait till one rear ends your car with your kids in the back at even 30mph. The majority of SUVs will hit the average vehicle at chest/head height (versus waist height) - and the bumpers and crash zones on your car suddenly become irrelevant. Next time you are in a queue behind or in front of an SUV - notice how low you are and where you would get struck in the event of a crash - and that you can't actually see anything in front/behind it.

 

If you can't see past the car in front of you when driving, this also tends to slow down traffic flow i.e. notice how you and others slow right down when you are stuck behind an SUV or a van because you can't see what's in front of it. If you own an SUV - be prepared to live with the consequences of a relatively low level accident with an average saloon.

[Flash]

Reading this interesting thread it shows how much people 'think' they just can't do without their car.

 

One thread said there isn't congestion compared to England - I was born here and I loathe it when the Island is compared to the UK....it's an Island and can only accommodate so many cars, now running at over 65,000 privately registered.

 

Yes free public transport sounds a good idea as the costs of 'the car' around towns must be high ie providing parking, wear & tear, environmental pollution but the 'car lovers' will always say it's not convenient for them.

 

'Albert' makes some good points that people really aren't taking Climate Change seriously as the Islands 75,000+ combustion vehicles are pumping out huge amounts of carbon dioxide which is only warming up the planet even more so we should be reducing our individual outputs - 1 bus carries how many!?....compared to a nice trip alone in your lovely car.

 

Time to get real before the cars are swept/blown off the roads with environmental change but maybe that will help clear the traffic problem?

[John Wright]

Especially if the buses for commuter use from properly run park and rides were skipper type and electric.

 

It the same with speeed

 

If we had a 50 mph speed limit over the mountain, 40 elsewhere outside built up areas and 20 in towns on main arteries and 15 in residential areas along with fewer parked cars on the streets there would be no need for many traffic calming measures, chance for children to play out more safely and fewer less expensive accidents. We could get rid of most sets of traffic lights and all the new roundabouts. All junctions could be 4 way or 3 way give way with zippering, ie alternate vehicles pulling off.

 

And what would we lose time wise Castletown to Douglas, 10 miles about 1 extra minute each way, Douglas to Ramsey via mountain, 17 miles about 1 minute 40 seconds each way.

 

Probably nothing in real terms.

 

What would we save

 

environment, fuel, safety, injuries, accidents, lives

 

Millions each year in real terms

[manxchatterbox]

the first thing that needs to be done is making the MHK's pay for their parking spaces so they realise how much others have to pay for the parking privilege...

[mojomonkey]

the first thing that needs to be done is making the MHK's pay for their parking spaces so they realise how much others have to pay for the parking privilege...

 

Is that going to be your key election issue?

[stookie]

It the same with speeed

 

If we had a 50 mph speed limit over the mountain, 40 elsewhere outside built up areas and 20 in towns on main arteries and 15 in residential areas along with fewer parked cars on the streets there would be no need for many traffic calming measures, chance for children to play out more safely and fewer less expensive accidents. We could get rid of most sets of traffic lights and all the new roundabouts. All junctions could be 4 way or 3 way give way with zippering, ie alternate vehicles pulling off.

 

And what would we lose time wise Castletown to Douglas, 10 miles about 1 extra minute each way, Douglas to Ramsey via mountain, 17 miles about 1 minute 40 seconds each way.

 

Probably nothing in real terms.

 

What would we save

 

environment, fuel, safety, injuries, accidents, lives

 

Millions each year in real terms

 

Boloney!

 

Anyone who knows will tell you that a car is very inefficient at speeds below 30mph and if cars never went more than 50mph, there would be no point developing all those safe things, such as good anti locking brakes, improved tyres and aerodynamic shapes, because nobody's going to pay £60k for a car that won't go faster than 50mph! You can't have it all ways.

 

Who thinks it should be a good idea to encourage children to play on roads?

 

And where do these electric vehicles get their power from? Magic? Fossil fuels?

 

Two ways that cost nothing to improve fuel economy - 1) keep your tyres at the correct pressure, and 2) remove excess weight from the car by not carrying unnecessary stuff.

 

Of course, with all the extra cr*p fitted to cars these days in the name of feel good safety, they weigh more and more (another major objection to SUVs). I remember when the Ford Fiesta was a small car, now they have to have the Ka because it no longer is. Same with the VW Polo (they used to be a small VW after the Golf became a big car) and the Fox, the new small car!