M4 scamera protest set to be huge
Anti-Big Brother drive-by aims to change government policy
The amazing public response to the five-day-old M4 Protest campaign suggests that thousands of vehicles will join the 'slow drive' protest against M4 speed cameras.
Meanwhile, figures released today by the RAC reveal the motorists' pain with 55 per cent of motorists saying the their "motoring life is worse" as a result of speed cameras, with 67 per cent saying that speed cameras have "no positive impact".
The campaign has also issued a list of demands:
- The immediate suspension of all speed cameras on open motorways because we do not believe that they improve safety.
- An end to the greedy camera partnerships. The partnership structure is cash driven and works against genuine road safety.
- That no road safety policy penalises safe and responsible driving.
- Road safety policies that enhance, rather than destroy, the relationship between responsible members of the public and the Police.
- That the major political parties make very clear their policies on speed cameras and road safety in the run up to the general election.
- A fair, impartial and statistically sound review of all speed camera operations giving proper consideration to side effects as well as main effects.
- An immediate end to the deliberate abuse of statistical data. For example, camera partnerships and others ignore regression to the mean effects to fraudulently claim benefit for their cameras.
- Open and accurate public debate on the issues surrounding speed cameras. Our spokesperson will meet anyone - head to head - in any national media.
The public response has been huge with more than 30,000 Web site page views in just five days and many hundreds of emails of support. It is impossible to know what the level of support will turn out to be on the day, but we have every reason to believe that it will be considerable.
When and where
Protest traffic will assemble at both Leigh Delamere and Membury Services from 10am on Saturday 30th April. At 11am protest convoys will leave both services travelling west from Membury and east from Leigh Delamere.
However, the campaign admits that there may be serious congestion on the M4 motorway between junctions 14 and 18 on Saturday 30th April between 10am and 2pm. Travellers may wish to consider alternative routes, alternative travel times, or may wish to join the M4 Protest.
M4 Protest is taking all possible precautions to minimise traffic disruption, including asking protest traffic to keep out of lane three, liaising with police and running the protest convoy at a target speed of 56mph.
The organisers have also discussed with police the risk of service station car park overflow. If this happens, police will have to close the slip road because traffic backing up onto the motorway would be dangerous. It follows that travellers should ensure that they have plenty of fuel to reach the next services.
Details will be published on the M4 Protest Web site (link below).
Protest organiser, Robin Summerhill said: "If the M4 Protest does cause serious congestion then we would see that as a very strong indication that the public believes policy is wrong. If people were not upset, they wouldn't attend and there would be no congestion.
"In short, we blame the government. Motorists have a golden opportunity to send a message to politicians before the election by joining the M4 Protest on Saturday 30th."
Paul Smith, M4 Protest road safety spokesman said, "Speed cameras have issued £700million pounds in fines and made road safety worse. Clearly it's time for change."
Link
sublimatica said:I wonder whether it would actually be beneficial to inform Conservative Central Office of the event, if they don't already know, as its part of their policy to reduce the use of speed cameras and cut police red-tape. I wouldn't call it electioneering should they end up commenting on the protest as its part of their manifesto already...
I fear this may all be falling on deaf ears in Whitehall...
Any positive response from MPs or wannabe MPs will surely be cynical electioneering rather than evidence of any genuine intention, sadly.
Nevertheless, good work fellas!
I said:
As you may be aware, there is a protest on the M4 on Saturday about the new speed cameras. www.m4protest.org/
Many ordinary motorists are extremely cynical about the activities of the so called safety camera partnerships. They have raked in millions for the treasury yet KSI injuries are increasing.
Speed cameras are rapidly becoming a symbol of the nanny state and are now seen by most as a method of back door taxation.
With an election looming, it could be beneficial to show the ordinary motorist that the Conservative party are on their side in this matter.
Transport has faired extremely badly undar the Labour administration, I hope the Conservatives would give their support to the beleaguered everyday motorist.
Oh bugger, now I spot the typo
BliarOut said:
I just sent this to Mr Howard via their website.... I hope someone is reading this stuff!!
I said:
As you may be aware, there is a protest on the M4 on Saturday about the new speed cameras. www.m4protest.org/
Many ordinary motorists are extremely cynical about the activities of the so called safety camera partnerships. They have raked in millions for the treasury yet KSI injuries are increasing.
Speed cameras are rapidly becoming a symbol of the nanny state and are now seen by most as a method of back door taxation.
With an election looming, it could be beneficial to show the ordinary motorist that the Conservative party are on their side in this matter.
Transport has faired extremely badly undar the Labour administration, I hope the Conservatives would give their support to the beleaguered everyday motorist.
Oh bugger, now I spot the typo
which one, I see two
faired := fared
undar := under
sublimatica said:
I fear this may all be falling on deaf ears in Whitehall...
Any positive response from MPs or wannabe MPs will surely be cynical electioneering rather than evidence of any genuine intention, sadly.
Nevertheless, good work fellas!
MPs should take note as they are always lelling us that EVERY VOTE counts on the 5th !!
NormanD said:
MPs should take note as they are always lelling us that EVERY VOTE counts on the 5th !!
Yes but anyone who has studied the British electoral system know that this is a load of foetid dingoes kidneys, general elections are effectively settled by a very few votes in the most marginal constituencies, the rest of us might as well not bother for all the difference we can make (having said that one should still turn out to exercise the franchise, as a matter of principle).
This M4 protest is a good start but motorists must start to ACT putting pressure exactly like all the other Green-Leftist-antimotoring groups
How much is the cost paid by this government for the Iraq war to get "cheap" oil? I mean the true idea was to get cheap oil not to allow the price to treble... unless the idea was to finally help oil companies to make some $$$ after 10 years of success of the Internet companies
Aston67
Vee-X said:
Is it planned to just be along the M4? Would wonder if it was possible to have something running along the M3 and possibly around the M25 at the same time,
although a little late now, would maximise disruption and avoid it being a localised event in one point.
That kinda defeats the object of the protest, which is against the speed cameras on the M4...
aston67 said:G W Bush's 2000 election campaign received substantial contributions from the oil and gas industry and Vice President Dick Cheney headed Halliburton where he amassed some £50m-$60m in stock options (aparently being managed in a 'blind trust' while he is ther 'VEEP'). "This is a government that is marinated in oil," said Ralph Nader (Presidential candidate and car safety campaigner). The 2001 Bush administration differed from previous wealthy cabinets in that so many of the officials have links to the oil industry. The President, Vice President, Commerce Secretary and National Security Adviser all had (and retain) strong ties to the oil industry. The concentration of energy connections was so pronounced that some critics called it the "oil and gas administration" - Streaky
How much is the cost paid by this government for the Iraq war to get "cheap" oil? I mean the true idea was to get cheap oil not to allow the price to treble... unless the idea was to finally help oil companies to make some $$$ after 10 years of success of the Internet companies
Aston67
_VTEC_ said:
I think the camera partnerships will start to crack soon. There's too much pressure against them.
Not while they employ the sort of monkeys I saw guarding an ANPR setup on the A19 last week. Not wishing to stereotype, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have a baseball bat or two handy should anyone stop to complain...
I hope the normal average is better than 56, otherwise Tony and co will say how the lower speed has helped traffic slow. I guess this is why they didn't pick the M25 or M6.
Maybe 28mph might have been better, on lane 1 only of course.
I reckon they should go no faster than about 25mph, in lanes one and two.
You must have have been involved in a situation on a motorway when the traffic slows down to 30-40mph but you can't see what's causing it? Eventually you'll catch up with a pair of racing elephants (lorries matching each other due to limiters!).
Now expand this to a situation where the overtaking lorry doesn't pull in again... I'm quite certain that even a small turnout like 50 cars will produce a standstill as the 'shock waves' of faster cars reaching the slow moving block slow down and it ripples back.
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