Roadsafe in other areas? My letter to my Local Council.

[sabian92]

I've recently been looking at roadsafe and realised it was only in London. Bit crap or what?

I wrote a letter to my local Council (Halton Borough, for those who know it), just to see what they'd say. I'm supposed to get a reply within 10 days although the last one I sent (12 months ago) didn't get one...

Ah well, worth a try. Any other tips to campaign for it?

Hello,

I was curious as to if Halton Borough Council was looking at implementing a similar scheme to the Roadsafe campaign in London and the surrounding boroughs.

I'm a cyclist covering 150+ miles a month and I currently have several incidents per week where I would consider my life is put at risk. I've also put in several complaints to the police, most recently when an uninsured driver nearly ran me off the road because he thought it was "funny". This took me an hour and a half to process - a form would be quicker, surely?

Regards,

Andrew Williams.

 

[downfader]

Your best bet is to write to the chief constable, cc in local commander and safer roads partnership, probably your MP too. They are the ones who can most effectively push through change. Explain the positive influence that cyclists and motorcyclists are having with this scheme in London, how they implement cameras as a potential evidence, and how you think it might lead to police efficiency.

 

[sabian92]

Probably not a bad idea as I've not had a reply from the council even after a follow up email.

How would I go about writing to those people?

 

[downfader]

You can iirc go direct. Your local Police force should have the contact details of all the relevent parties. Try http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ for MPs, MEPs and Scots MPs.

Wheres Runcorn, is it near Liverpool? http://www.cheshire.police.uk/contact-us/contact-form.aspx Not sure if this is the right area... you may have to tap in a quick message, who you are and your concerns and who you want to speak to (be clear that you aim to target policy so it would need to be someone higher up)

 

[sabian92]

Indeed it is. Cheshire though, not Merseyside

So basically just type a quick message to them saying I want to speak to the chief constable and go from there?

I've just sent this to my local MP (Derek Twigg) now. Any good?

Dear Derek Twigg,

I am writing to you as i have tried to email the local council and not had a reply. I will paste into this email what I wrote to them:

"Hello,

I was curious as to if Halton Borough Council was looking at implementing a similar scheme to the Roadsafe campaign in London and the surrounding boroughs.

I'm a cyclist covering 150+ miles a month as commuter, using some of the borough's busiest roads (such as the Silver Jubilee Bridge) and I currently have several incidents per week where I would consider my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving. I've also put in several complaints to the police about these drivers, most recently when an uninsured driver nearly killed me by squeezing me against a row of parked cars on a narrow road because he and his passenger thought it was "funny". This took me an hour and a half to process - an online form to the Police would be quicker, surely?

Regards,

Andrew Williams."


I hope that the council would consider this as more and more people are turning to cycling as a means of environmentally friendly transport. Having safer roads would benefit the cyclists in the borough as well as reducing congestion on the roads.

Thank you very much for your time,

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Williams

 

[growingvegetables]

Explain the positive influence that cyclists and motorcyclists are having with this scheme in London, how they implement cameras as a potential evidence, and how you think it might lead to police efficiency.

Can anybody point in the direction of ..... I dunno, reports, evaluations, figures? The costs and the benefits? Tools we can use to persuade? Something a bit stronger than anecdata? Please?

Fwiw - local traffic police were very interested in the idea (I got the strong impression that the Roadsafe scheme was news to them), but higher-ups stamped on the idea of spending money on it at a time of cuts and recession

 

[sabian92]

Can anybody point in the direction of ..... I dunno, reports, evaluations, figures? The costs and the benefits? Tools we can use to persuade? Something a bit stronger than anecdata? Please?

Fwiw - local traffic police were very interested in the idea (I got the strong impression that the Roadsafe scheme was news to them), but higher-ups stamped on the idea of spending money on it at a time of cuts and recession

I did have a look about but there wasn't much, only an article of a cyclist being killed on a dual carriage way near my house

I do fear that although I do feel pretty strongly about creating a safer borough for cyclists, I do plan on pushing this and gaining support if needs be.

 

[growingvegetables]

I did have a look about ....

Sorry, sabian - I was being obtuse; I was thinking of reports and figures and the like about Roadsafe that we can use to put pressure on in other cities/places.

 

[sabian92]

Not a problem - I misread it. I'm hoping just for a reply at this stage after my experience with my local council...

 

[YahudaMoon]

Im not familiar with Roadsafe. Would it not be a idea also writing Roadsafe ?

Looking at whos on the board. All of whom appear being in the motor trade and none in cycling industries maybe it would be of no loss them not campaigning except for London ?

Even the vice patron is the Stig lol​

http://www.roadsafe.com/about/whoswho.aspx​

​

​

 

[sheddy]

Bookmarked

 

[ohnovino]

Merseyside Police had a similar scheme called RoadRisk. First time I wanted to use it I clicked my bookmark and found the page "shut for maintenance". It stayed that way for about 6 months before vanishing all together. I got the impression they didn't want to collect reports because it meant they'd have to do something about them.

 

[sabian92]

I think the OP is referring to the Met Police's RoadSafe scheme...

Indeed. Although I'm not holding out much hope as it's a small borough, not a city the size of London...

Merseyside Police had a similar scheme called RoadRisk. First time I wanted to use it I clicked my bookmark and found the page "shut for maintenance". It stayed that way for about 6 months before vanishing all together. I got the impression they didn't want to collect reports because it meant they'd have to do something about them.

Sounds like Merseyside Police down to the word. I think I remember that but it still wouldn't have worked for me anyway as I don't live in Merseyside.

 

[mr_hippo]

So you cycle about 35 miles/week or assuming a 5 day week 7 miles/day and have 'several incidents per week where I would consider my life is put at risk by dangerous and careless driving' . If I were in your shoes, I would assess my own cycling ability first.
The Silver Jubilee Bridge? I take it that you are not a native of those parts - more commonly known as the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge or just the Runcorn Bridge. easiest way over the bridge from Widnes - head down to West Bank - Victoria Road, St Nary's Road thurn right into Irwell St. At the far end of Irwell St, there is a pedesrian access (you can get a bike through) and then take the shared use footpath over the bridge. Once over the bridge and before you drop down into the old town, there is the start of over 43 miles of cycle track to use.

 

[ohnovino]

At the far end of Irwell St, there is a pedesrian access (you can get a bike through) and then take the shared use footpath over the bridge.

Although that's what most cyclists do, the footpath isn't actually shared use, and they've now got "Cyclist Dismount" signs all over the bridge to reinforce that.