Strawberry Jam
‘DIFFERENT people have different ways of beating traffic congestion.
| Jeep drivers are twice as likely to be shot than anyone else |
For instance, London mayor Ken Livingstone not only charges motorists a fiver to drive in central London, but he tries to make life as difficult as possible for drivers in general.
Steve Norris, his rival in next summers mayoral elections, thinks that cutting the number of buses and bus lanes is the way forward.
He tells the Times: The number of empty buses in the off-peak period is one of the most frustrating things for other road users.
We will take hundreds of those buses out of central London. The service may be less frequent, but it will improve traffic flow.
Peter Hendy, head of buses at Transport for London, disputes this claim, saying there had been a 15% increase in the number of bus passengers over the past three years.
If your policy for improving public transport of to provide less of it, then its hard to see what progress that makes, he said.
Of course, there are more radical measures that can be used to tackle congestion.
Take the Jack Nicklaus Highway near Columbus, Ohio so named because it goes past the home of the man who still is the worlds most successful golfer.
The Telegraph reports that the five-mile stretch of Interstate 270 is almost deserted after a spate of shootings.
One woman has died and 10 other people have been attacked in the past two months by what police believe may be a copycat sniper inspired by John Muhammed, the so-called Beltway sniper.
Civil liberties groups may not like the idea, but they have to admit that sniping is a very effective way of cutting traffic flows.
If Livingstone announces that snipers positioned on the roofs of buildings in central London had been instructed to take out, say, every fifth driver, the capitals roads would soon be deserted and the empty buses could roam at will.’
Posted: 1st, December 2003 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
