Speed Humps Under Fire .....
Speed Humps Under Fire .....
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The Wiz

Original Poster:

5,875 posts

283 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Its amazing .... common sense (of a sort)is breaking out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3309313.stm

Speed humps under fire for delays

The future of London's road humps, blamed by the emergency services for increasing response times, is to be considered by the London Assembly.

Senior police and ambulance service officers are to tell the transport committee why they oppose the measures.

A number of vehicles from both services have been damaged trying to negotiate humps at speed.

The hearing is the first of two before a final report is published in the spring of next year.

Last week the Metropolitan Police warned its response to emergency calls is being hampered by humps.

It said 34 police vehicles had been possibly damaged due to traffic calming measures.

The head of the London Ambulance Service has also called for a review of speed humps, saying they put patients' lives in danger because emergency response times are affected.

It has been estimated there are between 20,000 and 30,000 speed bumps in London, with thousands more ramps, barriers and chicanes.

Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones said speed humps were a key factor in saving lives.

"Road humps are part of a series of measures used for traffic calming," she told BBC London.

"We could use cameras or chicanes but road humps are the cheapest option and they do work. They slow traffic down and they save lives."

But Brian Coleman, the London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, said humps do not work.

"They increase vibration, pollution and noise. Speed humps have had their day.

"They were a fad of the 1990s by a few local polilticians and highway officers.

"They were thought to be the answer to our road safety problems and instead they've caused a whole raft of problems of their own."

hornet

6,333 posts

271 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
[quote=The Wiz"They increase vibration, pollution and noise. Speed humps have had their day".
[/quote]

Could someone please tell that to Watford Council? They've just gone speed hump/road closing mental in North Watford. Justifying of budgets? Cynical? Me?

tuscan_thunder

1,763 posts

267 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
my car can't cope with speed humps. the exhaust grinds out on them.

surely this is discrimination against people with low cars?

but as I love cars, my opinion counts for nil.

had i been a vegan, speed camera lover who has no car and no grip on reality, i think things may be different!

if they start the tables turning against speed humps, and their instrinsic danger to emergency services, will this lead to a revolt against control of people's freedom (and presumably speed)?

james_j

3,996 posts

276 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Humps are yet another example of what happens when a minority of narrow-minded fanaticals get a bit of power.

rus wood

1,233 posts

288 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Speed humps will get scarcer soon because they can't raise revenue from them.
Imagine a suburban road that you enter and place a pound in a slot whereupon all the humps flatten to let you (and your fillings) by unmolested.
The BiB will have special little coins on strings that they can use to deflate them.