Reading anti-traffic policies 'killing' business
Discussion
http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/1500columnists/page.cfm?objectid=14193968&method=full&siteid=50102
Apr 29 2004
SMALL business are claiming that their firms will go to the wall unless Reading becomes more traffic friendly.
They say the raft of road restrictions and parking rules are simply killing them off.
It would be all to easy to dismiss the claims as mere whining from errant motorists who are angry at getting a parking ticket - except the evidence shows a growing rift between the authorities and drivers.
Since the council gained control of the town's parking attendants there is no doubt that complaints about over zealous wardens have reached epidemic proportions.
And there are the traffic schemes foisted on motorists which few members of the public actually support - in particular the ban on cars at Reading Station.
Then - and in fairness the responsibility of Thames Valley Police and surrounding local authorities as well - there is the spreading rash of speed cameras which prompted TV's Top Gear programme to brand Reading as the speed cameras' capital of Britain.
Despite government guidelines, few of the cameras actually appear to be anywhere near accident blackspots.
Hence the evidence does begin to create an impression of a town which dislikes motorists. Small wonder, therefore, that businesses are starting to get concerned.
Is it not time for Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham councils and Thames Valley Police to sit down together and talk about how we can attract visitors and companies into this area?
There is a real danger that vital commerce will simply be driven away from Reading unless action is taken to make this area more friendly to everyone - and that includes motorists.
Apr 29 2004
SMALL business are claiming that their firms will go to the wall unless Reading becomes more traffic friendly.
They say the raft of road restrictions and parking rules are simply killing them off.
It would be all to easy to dismiss the claims as mere whining from errant motorists who are angry at getting a parking ticket - except the evidence shows a growing rift between the authorities and drivers.
Since the council gained control of the town's parking attendants there is no doubt that complaints about over zealous wardens have reached epidemic proportions.
And there are the traffic schemes foisted on motorists which few members of the public actually support - in particular the ban on cars at Reading Station.
Then - and in fairness the responsibility of Thames Valley Police and surrounding local authorities as well - there is the spreading rash of speed cameras which prompted TV's Top Gear programme to brand Reading as the speed cameras' capital of Britain.
Despite government guidelines, few of the cameras actually appear to be anywhere near accident blackspots.
Hence the evidence does begin to create an impression of a town which dislikes motorists. Small wonder, therefore, that businesses are starting to get concerned.
Is it not time for Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham councils and Thames Valley Police to sit down together and talk about how we can attract visitors and companies into this area?
There is a real danger that vital commerce will simply be driven away from Reading unless action is taken to make this area more friendly to everyone - and that includes motorists.
icBerkshire said:
Then - and in fairness the responsibility of Thames Valley Police and surrounding local authorities as well - there is the spreading rash of speed cameras which prompted TV's Top Gear programme to brand Reading as the speed cameras' capital of Britain.
<...>
Is it not time for Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham councils and Thames Valley Police to sit down together and talk about how we can attract visitors and companies into this area?
Methinks the author is being too charitable to Reading Council.
AIUI, individual councils do have control over how many and where cameras are put in their 'patch'; even if I am wrong on that, there is nothing to prevent a particular council leaving a partnership should they choose.
I'm glad. I hope the entire high street shuts down, the little businesses go bust and tumbleweed blows around the Oracle.
Then maybe some councils would realise pissing off your punters by making it shit to visit your town would be forces into a rethink.
Other towns I wish the same on are Oxford, Bristol and, of course, my hometown Basingstoke which used to be brilliant for motorists and is currently being rushed headlong into an anti-car, anti-motorist, anti-road town by a bunch of "The Misguided".
Then maybe some councils would realise pissing off your punters by making it shit to visit your town would be forces into a rethink.
Other towns I wish the same on are Oxford, Bristol and, of course, my hometown Basingstoke which used to be brilliant for motorists and is currently being rushed headlong into an anti-car, anti-motorist, anti-road town by a bunch of "The Misguided".
To be honest, closing the station road to cars wasn't such a bad thing.
When I first moved to Reading I was commuting on the bus
as I did not have a parking space at the office opposite the station. Once they closed off the station road things improved massively.
Reading's main traffic problem is that it has a fantastic ring road - in parts... There are too many junctions, and not enough fast roads leading away (well, there's one - the A33). There are also only 2 bridges in Town, both close to the ring road - both with silly junctions on the north side.
There is a motorway/dc towards Reading centre - but it just ends 2 miles West - then you have to fight the one way system to get in
If they finished the A3290 over the Thames (which they never will) it would make life incredibly easier.
Cameras? They aren't the problem, many are sensibly placed and have been around for a long time. It's the Talivans that are the buggers. They are in the cash hotspots where the limits are too low.
As for parking? EVERY zone is over-subscribed. In mine we have 87 cars and apparently 54 spaces. Traffic wardens are out at all hours. Reading has the 3rd largest number of tickets given out for a metropolitan area, after London and Manchester. A huge number are quashed.
Are these policies killing Reading? Nahhh - it's the downturn in IT really!
>> Edited by puggit on Thursday 29th April 19:34
When I first moved to Reading I was commuting on the bus
as I did not have a parking space at the office opposite the station. Once they closed off the station road things improved massively. Reading's main traffic problem is that it has a fantastic ring road - in parts... There are too many junctions, and not enough fast roads leading away (well, there's one - the A33). There are also only 2 bridges in Town, both close to the ring road - both with silly junctions on the north side.
There is a motorway/dc towards Reading centre - but it just ends 2 miles West - then you have to fight the one way system to get in
If they finished the A3290 over the Thames (which they never will) it would make life incredibly easier. Cameras? They aren't the problem, many are sensibly placed and have been around for a long time. It's the Talivans that are the buggers. They are in the cash hotspots where the limits are too low.
As for parking? EVERY zone is over-subscribed. In mine we have 87 cars and apparently 54 spaces. Traffic wardens are out at all hours. Reading has the 3rd largest number of tickets given out for a metropolitan area, after London and Manchester. A huge number are quashed.
Are these policies killing Reading? Nahhh - it's the downturn in IT really!
>> Edited by puggit on Thursday 29th April 19:34
I had a contract in Reading last year. After the first couple of days of commuting by car (50 mins to travel 12 miles) and £8.50 to park in an NCP I started using the train. 20-30mins door-to-door and a fiver a day.
We also tend to avoid the centre of Reading on a weekend these days too, unless we make an effort to get in early before the queues for the Oracle start.
We also tend to avoid the centre of Reading on a weekend these days too, unless we make an effort to get in early before the queues for the Oracle start.
JonRB said:The carpark next to the BMW garage on the other side of the station is £4.50 for an entire day
I had a contract in Reading last year. After the first couple of days of commuting by car (50 mins to travel 12 miles) and £8.50 to park in an NCP I started using the train. 20-30mins door-to-door and a fiver a day.
>> Edited by puggit on Friday 30th April 07:10
Was born and raised around Reading.
Total
hole. Horrible place. Moved over 150 miles away and still shudder at the thought of having lived there.
Sorry to all the small businesses and stuff but I hope the place does go bust. Cant get any worse...
Should be "twinned with Slough" so they can make a combined effort to be st together!
Total
hole. Horrible place. Moved over 150 miles away and still shudder at the thought of having lived there. Sorry to all the small businesses and stuff but I hope the place does go bust. Cant get any worse...
Should be "twinned with Slough" so they can make a combined effort to be s
t together!
Don't want to drag the thread away from Reading or anything (only been there once and that was by train from London, many years ago) but the general over-enforcement of the law and its affects, is what I want to address, particularly where the motorist is concerned.
Without entering into the excesive drinking and driving debate, I at one time used to drive out of my town to a more pleasant country pub somewhere, pleasant surroundings, relatively quiet, and a nice place to talk with friends. It used to be a very pleasant experience, different pubs, different places, before driving home safely and quietly.
Now however the punishment for having one pint too many and failing "the test" and loosing "your licence,"
your livelyhood,"and mabye even "your home," has made this a thing of the past. Good! I hear some of you say.
But just think of this,these businesses, country pubs who hitherto depended on this trade, became, many of them uneconomic.
The Government of the day said "provide food!" this will cure your ill's! Nope! 'fraid not!
So what did the government say next?
You can "open all hours!" (to get enough to make a living). The trade is simply NOT there in quiet backwaters IS IT.
So what have we ended up with? well! Pubs and clubs in the towns that are "open all hours" full of "binge drinkers who can't get enough! and cause mayhem when they DO leave.
Quiet civilsed country pubs who can't make a living anymore and closing by the thousands because it is not worth the potential trouble to go there.
Yes! over-zealious law enforcement DOES affect business, and society, very badly.
I don't patronise country pubs anymore,I only go to the "motorist hating town" if I really HAVE TO! and I DON'T take holiday breaks anymore in this godforsaken country because of it!
The sooner business people with influence realise what is happening to their custom and the country, and apply pressure where it's needed, the better!
Sorry! Rant over.
Without entering into the excesive drinking and driving debate, I at one time used to drive out of my town to a more pleasant country pub somewhere, pleasant surroundings, relatively quiet, and a nice place to talk with friends. It used to be a very pleasant experience, different pubs, different places, before driving home safely and quietly.
Now however the punishment for having one pint too many and failing "the test" and loosing "your licence,"
your livelyhood,"and mabye even "your home," has made this a thing of the past. Good! I hear some of you say.
But just think of this,these businesses, country pubs who hitherto depended on this trade, became, many of them uneconomic.
The Government of the day said "provide food!" this will cure your ill's! Nope! 'fraid not!
So what did the government say next?
You can "open all hours!" (to get enough to make a living). The trade is simply NOT there in quiet backwaters IS IT.
So what have we ended up with? well! Pubs and clubs in the towns that are "open all hours" full of "binge drinkers who can't get enough! and cause mayhem when they DO leave.
Quiet civilsed country pubs who can't make a living anymore and closing by the thousands because it is not worth the potential trouble to go there.
Yes! over-zealious law enforcement DOES affect business, and society, very badly.
I don't patronise country pubs anymore,I only go to the "motorist hating town" if I really HAVE TO! and I DON'T take holiday breaks anymore in this godforsaken country because of it!
The sooner business people with influence realise what is happening to their custom and the country, and apply pressure where it's needed, the better!
Sorry! Rant over.
8Pack: Completely understand the Country Pubs predicament. Living where I do I am surrounded by them still, thank goodness.
And yes: I only ever visit them at lunchtimes and its for food, of course. I wonder if anyone goes there of an evening...
I'm sure some people do and there is a way of getting there by Taxi/Bus/whatever...but I just don't do it, myself.
But I live in the S.E. I wonder how the Country Pubs do back where I grew up in North Wales...not so well I imagine..
And yes: I only ever visit them at lunchtimes and its for food, of course. I wonder if anyone goes there of an evening...
I'm sure some people do and there is a way of getting there by Taxi/Bus/whatever...but I just don't do it, myself.
But I live in the S.E. I wonder how the Country Pubs do back where I grew up in North Wales...not so well I imagine..
puggit said:
No one's mentioned Whitley Wood yet 
Lower Earley is a strange mix - there's plenty of young professionals in new houses, mixing with Chavs in single bed flats
Fifteen years ago I used to live in Lower Earley in a studio flat...No bedroom at all!
And Reading council, being scum, were charging £120pcm poll tax.
I have bad, bad memories of the place.
Just after I moved to a smashing little house in Roath, Cardiff and paid £12pcm poll tax...and got more services...
Gives you an idea..
What gets me is, all those miles and miles of yellow paint around these towns.
And when you try and find a reason in quite a lot of the streets/roads so inflicted, there aren't any! (residents parking?-No, narrow road width?-No, emergency service access?-No)
The only reason I can see for them is to FORCE you to use their very expensive car parks, (the most expensive in Europe and with NO security or responsibility provided at that!)
Are you REALLY going to pay these prices to stop for 5-10 mins? No I didn't think you would, neither will I.
I wonder what it was like when everyone had horses? and NO yellow lines! must have been horse ST everywhere!
The one that REALLY PES me OFF is the area around the bank outlet where you want to stop for 2 mins TOPS! and is always surrounded by a 1 mile radius of YELLOW BLDY LINES!
And when you try and find a reason in quite a lot of the streets/roads so inflicted, there aren't any! (residents parking?-No, narrow road width?-No, emergency service access?-No)
The only reason I can see for them is to FORCE you to use their very expensive car parks, (the most expensive in Europe and with NO security or responsibility provided at that!)
Are you REALLY going to pay these prices to stop for 5-10 mins? No I didn't think you would, neither will I.
I wonder what it was like when everyone had horses? and NO yellow lines! must have been horse S
T everywhere! The one that REALLY P
ES me OFF is the area around the bank outlet where you want to stop for 2 mins TOPS! and is always surrounded by a 1 mile radius of YELLOW BLDY LINES! Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff