Transport select committee

[Spinney]

According to Chris Boardman, MPs on the select committee should be embarrassed at their lack of knowledge.

http://road.cc/content/news/100104-...mbarrassed”-don’t-even-know-most-basic-facts”

In the comments at the bottom there is a list of the MPs on the committed, with their email addresses. My MP was not there, but if yours was it might be worth an email giving them your opinion of their atttidue!

 

[glenn forger]

The MPs seemed jolly ill-informed, effected by rank prejudice, obsessed by trivialities about scratched paintwork and stultifying ill-informed about road funding. I hope they all tread on Lego in bare feet.

Edited to remove swears.



https://twitter.com/ChloeSmithMP/status/407591547476381696

Chloe Smith is my MP, I'm going to contact her and ask her some questions when I've calmed down and am less sweary.

 

[Spinney]

Mod message: While I agree with your sentiments entirely, Shaun did ask to keep the sweariness down, including the *** type. Please take note.

Later mod message: much better, ta!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Oh look, no one from London on the committee. Snotfurtlers, one and all.

 

[glenn forger]

They're paid an awful lot of money, couldn't they at least have taken their job seriously? It was pathetic. Like listening to a bunch of pig-ignorant, prejudiced saloon-bar bores.

Jim Dobbin is the incumbent in Heywood and, despite an annual £99k expenses bill and employing his wife, still took over 40% of the vote in 2010. His family income, paid by us, is getting on for £200k and in response to deaths in London he starts to whine and snivel about a scratched car.

 

[clockman]

Why is anybody surprised by any MPs ignorance? The majority of them are only self serving, egotistical morons. The fact that these people live in London for the majority of the week, you would at least think they could have a sensible opinion.

They probably never walk (or cycle) to work. They get a cab to and from the relevant doors. They never, ever experience the real world.

There is not the political will to change transport policy away from anything other than the motor car. No amount of campaigning by British Cycling or anybody else will change this fact. It is a sad fact of life, the Motor industry is to powerful. Look at the assistance it got the government when the economy nose dived. The cycling industry as a whole, does not have enough fiscal clout to change policy.

 

[glenn forger]

The APPCG @allpartycycling has just tweeted:-

Commons Transport Comm chair Louise Ellman responds to Chris Boardman criticism by inviting him to give evidence to cycling safety inquiry.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

The APPCG @allpartycycling has just tweeted:-

Commons Transport Comm chair Louise Ellman responds to Chris Boardman criticism by inviting him to give evidence to cycling safety inquiry.

I'm sure he'll enjoy being grilled about whether bikes should have MOTs.

(I just finished watched the second half of that transport committee and my observation of that is FFS.)

 

[classic33]

My mp isn't on that list but I'm well aware of her views on cyclists. She would rather see us removed from the roads outright. Until late next 2014/early 2015. Why because her seat will be up for grabs. And she only just got in last time!
She wasn't aware of the basic rules, believing that we as cyclist should, by law have lights fitted & working at all times. Nor the fact that bikes with brakes fitted front & rear were independently operated.
In what I can only describe as a Matthew_T moment, due to comments passed the day before about the legality of the Brox, I had the relevant sections printed out ready for her. Not too pleased at being corrected in front of her supporters at the time.

 

[stowie]

I am torn between writing a response about my reaction to this select committee and respecting the mods request to not include swearing. I fear I cannot do both.

 

[Frood42]

I do have to wonder though, Chris Boardman comes across as saying all the right things, and yet we have Andrew Gilligan who has done himself no favours recently as the cycling ambassador...

Not quite sure what people were expecting from this, I am not at all surprised that these MP's needed to be corrected.

Hopefully now though the silly questions will stop and some proper progress can be made...
.

 

[Ern1e]

OMG mandatory helmets MOT for my bike just what are these people trying to do because I for one is getting very confused to say the least ! On on side we have the government seamingly trying to get people on to bikes and on the other side (the T.S.C) looking like shoving just about any obsatcle to prevent this,so please could some one explain ? Also (I have not checked before typing this) one name sprung straight out at me which was Louis Ellman now if this is one and the same that was leader of Lancashire County Council of which I for one was quite happy to see go then my confidence if any in these mp's just ran out the building.Doe's any one know if they ride a bicycle or their parents giving them a decent upbringing by teaching them how to ride !

 

[discominer]

Lunchtime today...
Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman's road safety call to PM
1 hour ago

Britain has been building roads that prioritise cars, buses and lorries for years - but not for people on two legs or two wheels - said Chris Boardman.

The Olympic gold cyclist said the UK should look at Copenhagen, which he said took a "bold decision" to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists, and now more than a third of people there commute by bike.

And he called on councils to look at restrictions in Dublin and Paris where the largest lorries can only enter the city during off-peak hours.

In a personal film for BBC2's Daily Politics, Mr Boardman called on the prime minister - who pledged to "cycle-proof" new roads and junctions, to "turn those words into action".

He will debate his film with MPs on Wednesday's programme around 12:40 BST, which will be on iPlayer for seven days

 

[discominer]

A***holes, tried to hijack it into a helmet argument again.

 

[snorri]

He will debate his film with MPs on Wednesday's programme around 12:40 BST, which will be on iPlayer for seven days

That was interesting, although somewhat London centric.
I nominate Chris Boardman for 'Man of the Year' award.

As for one of the MPs who complained at the refusal of Chris to discuss the helmet issues, and then went on to say she always wears a helmet because it increases her confidence.

Anyway, according to Chris Bryant MP the lack of provision for cyclists in London is all due to these nasty Germans who bombed the place during WW2.
First time I've heard that argument, go to the bottom of the class Mr Chris Bryant MP.

Edit, for anyone interested, the cycling segment started at approx 12.46, or 1Hr 35 mins into the prog.