Transport -
Traffic 2
Britain has the worst
transport system in Europe, according to a report
commissioned by the government. The most
congested roads, the longest commuting times and
some of the highest bus and rail fares can be
found in the UK, according to the Commission for
Integrated Transport. The roads were easily the
most congested - 25% of main roads were jammed
for at least an hour a day but less than 10% of
the main highways got blocked in Germany and
France. The average daily commuting time was 46
minutes while Italians, for example, got to work
in half the time. The average British family
spent 15% of its income on transport - again way
out of line with most of its European neighbours.
Britain remained the most car-dominated country
in Europe. Eighty seven per cent of road journeys
were by car and only 12% were by public
transport.
Speed limits on
streets in some residential areas of London could
be reduced to only 10mph. Under government-funded
proposals to be put to hundreds of home-owners in
parts of Ealing and Lambeth, drivers are to be 
limited to little more
than jogging pace in order to encourage children
to play in their streets and return residential
roads to their pre-war playground status. The
proposals will see the streets turned into
so-called Home Zones, where cars are fiercely
discouraged and road markings are replaced by
pitches for ball games and benches for
spectators. Home Zones are an established part of
life in parts of Europe. The idea originated in
Amsterdam nearly 20 years ago after a journalist
saw one of her children killed and another
injured by reckless drivers. Motorists are to be
discouraged from using the roads!
The total number
of motorists caught by the ever growing forest of
speed cameras was over a MILLION - double that of
2000. Much of £60million collected in fines is
spent on more speed traps. This news will further
outrage drivers who claim cameras are used to
raise cash and not as a deterrent to improve road
safety. Essex police had the most prosecutions,
issuing 104,295 fines - an increase of 67% on
2000.
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