Jeremy Vine calls for drivers to be banned from overtaking cyclists in cities

[All uphill]

I don't think banning cars from cities is the way forward, unless there are adequate bypasses. it might work in London (I've neevr driven there) but for a smaller city like Plymouth it wouldn't work because the roads skirting the city centre are simply not up to carrying that much traffic. More bus lanes (which also allow cycles) I think is a better use of money. A bus is generally slower and because of the stops it is unlikely to catch up and overtake a cyclist further down the road. Also, they are usually covered my cameras which on its own is a big incentive for buses and taxis to drive more safely if they know they are being watched.

If you ban cars from cities, there will be less revenue from parking and ULEZ chargs etc, so even less for highways/councils to spend on safe cycling infrastructure

I've often thought Plymouth is exactly the kind of city that could replicate the Dutch model, with short journeys being made by bike/ebike/bus/taxi replacing cars in the central area.

If that happened there would be fewer cars to use the roads skirting the centre.

 

[Gwylan]

It's Jeremy Whine, wonder if his audience figures are falling?
Unlikely to ever include me anyway.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Complete bollocks. London is a big place.

You’re right, 9.5 mph central London, 12.5 mph inner London, and up to 20 mph outer London. Though central London down to 7.5 mph in 2018. Might be slowed down again as the faster averages were in the pandemic years with less vehicles on the roads. Gosh don’t those Chelsea tractors go fast.

 

[icowden]

You’re right, 9.5 mph central London, 12.5 mph inner London, and up to 20 mph outer London. Though central London down to 7.5 mph in 2018. Might be slowed down again as the faster averages were in the pandemic years with less vehicles on the roads. Gosh don’t those Chelsea tractors go fast.

The outrage at Sadiq Khan reducing speed limits to 20mph was palpable around here. Between that and the ULEZ expansion you'd have thought he was hanging motorists from the lamp-posts.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The outrage at Sadiq Khan reducing speed limits to 20mph was palpable around here. Between that and the ULEZ expansion you'd have thought he was hanging motorists from the lamp-posts.

Don’t you live in Surrey not London?

 

[icowden]

Don’t you live in Surrey not London?

Yes. People in Surrey apparently like to take their kiddywinks Quinoas and Fenella into that there London in their shiny Range Rovers*


*provided aforementioned shiny 4x4 hasn't been nicked from the driveway

Personally my preferred route into London is the train unless I have a gig and need the keyboard and associated gumf. Although sometime I do have to venture into outer London for outpatient appointments at St George's Hospital

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

There are just too many entitled motorists around

so banning them from overtaking a cyclist when a bike cost £4.50 (or that is what this type of driver thinks) and MY CAR costs £50,000 is clearly just wrong

People consider that they NEED to be able to put their car where they want and need to be able to drive where and how they want

The city mayors (etc) are already failing by allowing all these other cars to get in their way - so saying you can;t stop some poor person to slow them down even further is just plain wrong

Facts are just not important
and at the end of the day it is a political decision - and that needs votes at some point

 

[Alex321]

Don’t you live in Surrey not London?

Aren't parts of Surrey still in London? It used to be a lot more until they rejigged counties, which is why Surrey Cpinty Cricket ground is the Oval.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

On the topic of entitled motorists
I went for a walk yesterday
The route I took goes down a cut through onto the far end of our road.
It comes out right next to a house - standard semi with paved front garden and full width dropped kerb
with a car and van parked on the driveway

so far so normal

As I was approaching the road a black SUV pulled up across the end of the path- not enough to block me at all but on the pavement
and it was blocking 3/4 of the dropped kerb of teh driveway to the house

a bloke was just coming out of the house - he had his keys in his hand so he was clearly just on his way out
He called to the driver "You can;t park there you know mate"

the driver - who was a woman (not that it matters) wound her window down and called back
"I can park where I like!!!!"

by this time I was passing the car and I looked down at the dropped kern and then over to the man while shaking my head

the man laughed and I walked on

I didn't want to get involved in someone else's argumen - but I wish I had stopped further on to see what happened

the driver was clearly blocking someone's driveway - and was not outside - any else's house
so why was her immediate reaction to "you can;t park there" to act all entitled
rather
than "Oh sorry mate - I'll just move up - I'll only be a minute"
or something

I reckon this person would be the first complaining if she was told she couldn;t overtake a cyclist
bet she hadn;t even noticed that the road she was on is 20 mph!!!!

 

[Big John]

Remember David Icke? He was another TV presenter with mad ideas. The world seems to be full of them.

 

[icowden]

As I was approaching the road a black SUV pulled up across the end of the path- not enough to block me at all but on the pavement
and it was blocking 3/4 of the dropped kerb of teh driveway to the house

Come on - it was a Range Rover wasn't it...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Come on - it was a Range Rover wasn't it...

no actually - something smaller

They are all quite similar from the side and I was more concerned with what they were saying and not getting involved!

 

[Gwylan]

Remember David Icke? He was another TV presenter with mad ideas. The world seems to be full of them.

Two, the new full?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Don’t you live in Surrey not London?

It's also true that a lot of the outrage about ULEZ and 20 limits comes from people who are not affected, just are easily outraged. Those of us who actually live in London ... less bothered.

 

[Psamathe]

I sometimes wonder how helpful it is to be perpetually "shouting" about the dangers from motor vehicles and how "wild west" it is, cyclists daily putting their lives at risk. I suspect in many situations, more cyclists would automatically mean greater safety. But perpetually shouting about how every ride you escape KSI by the skin of your teeth and it must discourage others, convince parents their kids should be driven to school rather than cycle, etc.

I've seen some Vine videos where I think he's deliberately creating the situation he's then outraged about.

It has to be a balance, campaigning for safety and improvements is necessary but maybe the extremes (both "ends") can be counterproductive.

Ian