Cyclists manefesto

[brokenbetty]

On the manifesto, I'd vote for a media balance law so whenever an article about a road safety or a report of an accident appears there has to be an info box with the deaths of and attributed to each type of road user in the last 12 months.

This would go even further for children, so whenever the death or injury of a child other than through sickness is reported there is a byline showing the top 5 causes of death and serious injury in children.

 

[HJ]

How about scrapping VED (aka road tax) and instead increasing the tax on fuel instead. Before anyone starts to say that motorist are over taxed, take a reality check.

Lets tackle congestion with a tax on car parking spaces, rebates could be give for organisations which convert car parking spaces to secure cycle parking.

 

[Hilldodger]

Lets tackle congestion with a tax on car parking spaces, rebates could be give for organisations which convert car parking spaces to secure cycle parking.

Wow, we'd be quids in

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Ensure all engine powered vehicles have a range of no more than 200 miles per day and the speed and acceleration of a bicycle

neither me nor my family and favourite football team are within 200 miles of each other, none of us are particularly close to rail/ cross country bus stations and the vast majority of car commuting I do is between these places and is on motorways that bikes can't go on.

the cross country mass transport options are eyewateringly expensive too for such one off journeys so why be so negative and draconian where the options are non viable and bikes don't even figure.

I'd gladly see capped speeds and limited acceleration for local travel - we should manifesto for work on roadside transponders & receivers in vehicles to impose the pertinent speed limits onto the vehicle.

I'd also suggest that all motor vehicles have doors that automatically lock and emit a piercing shriek into the cabin if they drive for more than a short distance or park in a cycle lane, and that it doesn't shut up until the vehicle moves out of the cycle lane.

also that all drainage grids are angled at 90 degrees to the flow of traffic so that bike tyres don't get caught.

 

[stowie]

How about scrapping VED (aka road tax) and instead increasing the tax on fuel instead. Before anyone starts to say that motorist are over taxed, take a reality check.

Lets tackle congestion with a tax on car parking spaces, rebates could be give for organisations which convert car parking spaces to secure cycle parking.

It would make sense (and be the ultimate green tax) if all VED was transferred to petrol tax. Of course, the government have a secure source of tax revenue from VED which they wouldn't want to potentially risk in a variable tax based on petrol consumption, so I doubt no party will really want something like this.

The cost of driving needs to be moved from fixed (insurance, road tax) costs to a variable cost which creates incentive to reduce car usage.

 

[stowie]

But as all things it has unintended results. This reversal of burden of proof has occured in some employment claim. I represent employees and employers at tribunal and it has been a nightmare. It has clogged the tribunals with crazy claims. The net result is slower and worse results all round. For example I have a client was was unfairly dismissed, no doubt in my mind at all (remember I work for both sides on occassion.

Claim submitted 21 months ago, still no hearing. My mind is that this delay is caused by the reversal of the burdon of proof leading to an increase in claims. I don't think this reversal of burden of proof will work.

As an aside strict liabilty is not the definition of what you are seeking.

I don't know what to call it -I have heard it called strict liability, but I guess this is misleading - hierachy of liability perhaps?

It is possible that the number of claims would rise, but isn't it just as likely that insurance companies will settle claims out of court and be less likely to take up court time contesting, if the onus of proof was on them?

I think it is wrong that the most vulnerable, and almost certainly the most injured, in an accident has to prove liability against the operator of a more dangerous vehicle. The unintended consequences can be clearly comprehended since many western countries have a similar law at the moment. They seem to be able to implement this type of liability onus without having kamikaze cyclists throwing themselves under buses for the money, or the claims courts breaking down under the strain.

 

[Lizban]

I don't know what to call it -I have heard it called strict liability, but I guess this is misleading - hierachy of liability perhaps?

It is possible that the number of claims would rise, but isn't it just as likely that insurance companies will settle claims out of court and be less likely to take up court time contesting, if the onus of proof was on them?

I think it is wrong that the most vulnerable, and almost certainly the most injured, in an accident has to prove liability against the operator of a more dangerous vehicle. The unintended consequences can be clearly comprehended since many western countries have a similar law at the moment. They seem to be able to implement this type of liability onus without having kamikaze cyclists throwing themselves under buses for the money, or the claims courts breaking down under the strain.

I think that we will just need to politely disagree, I can not, despite being open to idea, get my self comfortable with the concept of the respondent have to justify their actions rather than the claimant.

It just feels wrong.

 

[Glow worm]

I'd like to see cycling portrayed by the medya more as and every day way of getting about, than just a recreational activity. One thing for example, would be to have more soap characters on bikes. Millions watch them and are no doubt influenced by them. If you had folk cyccling more on the telly as a routine, it might be a positive message (even if subliminal at times) and get Mr and Mrs British lardarse to think of it as something they might want to try. Where I work loads of people think I'm bonkers to be cycling as an adult as if there's something wrong with me. I'd love to somehow change those perceptions and making the image of cycling more mainstream might be a way?

Also, lets stop pissing around in the courts giving motons who kill 3 points and a £100 fine. It's manslaughter or murder plain and simple. Lets start locking these bastards up for good.

Double or triple the price of petrol. Use the cash to begin a real programme of coordinated transport infrastructure planning instead of just paying lip service. Set up a Govt Department (or Agency like the friggin' Highways lot?) in charge of sustainable transport and a Cabinet Minister to go with it.

Every moton who bangs on about cyclists and 'road tax' is instantly vapourised.

 

[HJ]

I came up with a few more suggestions here...