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Now, let me get this straight. Last week darling Alistair (and his sidekick Mr Ladyman) announce that the aim of road charging is to reduce congestion, especially during rush hours by charging up to £1.34 per mile. Today Ruth Kelly, (that 16 year old boy with a woman's name) the education secretary, announces that all schools will form 2006 be open from 8 am to 6pm to cater for children whose parents work. Does that mean that instead of the "school run" taking place between about 3 and 4 pm it will be transferred to 5.30ish to 6.30ish. Is that rush hour? Does this ensure that not only Dad will be charged £1.34 per mile but also now school running Mum? Will this decrease congestion? I am confused . Please help me work this out?
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Haven't you heard Phil?
We all drive because we want to. It isn't necessary. This enlightened scheme will discourage us from doing so.
Ha.
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Adam
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Thanks Ads, I was worried I might have to drive to work and pay the charges. Now I know it's not necessary, I won't bother.
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Good man. Now you're realising. If you keep under the limit, not one single person will die in Britain too.
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Adam
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> I am confused. Please help me work this out?
Teaching finishes at 3pm.
At present, the school closes then, so Mom has to collect the kids then. (Kids these days have been bred without legs, so cannot walk home or catch a bus).
Now the school will stay open until 6, so Mom does not have to make an extra journey to collect the kids: Dad can get them on the way home.
Result: Mom's 2-way journey avoided, 3pm congestion greatly reduced. But if Mom dtill wants to make trip, she can.
Dad may have to divert his journey to pass by the school, in which case there may be a small increase in 6pm congestion.
If they don't like the congestion charge, fit the kids with legs and let them cycle to school, while Mom + Pop use public transport for commuting.
There, not that hard, is it?
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What if the kids go to a school too far to walk?
What if the kids go to a school in an area where you wouldn't want them to walk?
What if there are no buses to and from the parent't place of work?
That's odd - all three of the above applied to me when I was at school.
And my Dad drove a nice polluting V6 at the time. :-)
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Adam
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"so Mom does not have to make an extra journey to collect the kids" - out of rush hour though?
"Dad may have to divert his journey to pass by the school, in which case there may be a small increase in 6pm congestion." Always assuming that it is a "small diversion" and that it fits with his work pattern exactly every day.
"But if Mom still wants to make trip, she can." "or catch a bus" So how does that help rush hour congestion?
"let them cycle to school" my kids are well past school age but I would not let them cycle their old route to school on narrow congested roads with no cycle track.
"Mom + Pop use public transport for commuting." Easy for you to say - have you tried using public transport to get to work when there is no public transport to get to work?!!!
Anyway NW, I'm only being provocative!!!!!
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I don't think they've thought about winter either, when at 6pm it will be pitch black. So we'll get:
- kids running across roads to get to their parents cars, in dark school uniforms.
- lots of angree teachers at NUTs who don't want to look after kids until 6pm.
I don't think they've thought this one through!
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Mike Farrow
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It looks like the government went on a four day bender after the election, came up with some crazy ideas and are now setting about implementing them - ministers daring each other to be more stupid - don't recall anyone mentioning the school hours or road charging in the manifesto.
I think this car thing will be like fox hunting - distract the masses with pointless arguments about something that isn't really going to happen whilst they're up to something else.
Lots of angry motorists and teachers (and extra, extra support staff) will fill a lot of media bandwidth, so govt and the media are happy. It's us poor blighters that lose, as ever.
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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The school hours thing was mentioned quite some time ago. I remember seeing a question about it on question time.
I dread to think what it will do to congestion. The school holidays really show how clear the roads can be when you get all these school runs off the roads. The kids should all be taken to school in school buses and be done with it. If you also take away the choice of school and every child just gets sent to the local one more of the darling couch potatoes could walk although there are some around here that drive half a mile to drop their kids off....
teabelly
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