Traffic concerns in Sandford

Increased development in Purbeck can only increase traffic on the A351 running through Sandford.

In addition to the proposed developments, a planning application by SITA to increase the size of their quarrying, landfill and recycling facility at Binegar will add further heavy goods traffic on to the road. “The A351 simply can’t take any more traffic,” says Jane Thomas.

The Conservative spokesman for Sandford continues, “I live by the A351 and know the problems caused by the congestion already. I will be pushing for the Sandford by pass to be put back on the agenda.”

The DVLA - nothing better to do?

My Dad went to get an MOT for his car today.

He went to a small local garage in a village near where they live. It's run by a father and son and provides an excellent service. The chaps are friendly, do the job while Dad waits and, best of all from Dad's point of view, have a good old chin wag with him while he is there.

It's the kind of personal service that doesn't make anyone astonishingly rich, but does ensure customer loyalty and therefore a regular income in the face of larger and often cheaper competitors.

Except today, when Dad went there he was told very apologetically by the father of the pair, that he couldn't really stop to talk until the MOT inspection was completed. The reason for this was that, at the commencement of the inspection, the garage log in to the VOSA computer. They then have a certain time to complete the inspection. If they take longer than this allotted time, the VOSA ring them up and start quizzing them about why the inspection has take too long and what is wrong the with the car.

What happens if there is an issue which needs discussion? What happens if the person doing the inspection is called away?

The whole thing seems mad to me. What possible benefit is there for the VOSA to insist that an MOT inspection take a certain amount of time? More importantly, who is paying for the person to sit on the end of the phone calling these various garages to enquire why the inspection is taking so long?

Talk about the Nanny state sticking its nose in to everyone's business, this really is an example of bureaucracy gone mad.

Update: Thanks to the person who posted the comment to put me right about the difference between the VOSA and the DVLA and to suggest the garage talk to them. Quite right, I'll get Dad to mention it, however it still seems draconian to me; an intrusion and a waste of resources.

Traffic England - what a good idea!

I've been alerted to this site by the Dorset Chamber of Commerce.

This Highways Agency site gives you real time traffic information for the major routes in the region. I know the BBC and AA sites also have this kind of map too, but you have to navigate your way through pages to get to them.

Amazing a government site that is easy to use and is of some use! Now, if you're like me and heading out to brave the A31, the M27 and the M3, or even going further afield, you can see exactly what's going on.

Excellent.

Road pricing - Good or bad news?

The Government has commissioned a report about the feasibility of road pricing which is due to be published today.

Speculation is that the report, written by the former head of British Airways, Sir Rod Eddington, will recommend a considerable extension of road pricing. You can read the full BBC report on the issue here.

Apparently his recommendation is a considerable increase in road pricing schemes, essentially schemes whereby you would be charged to drive on certain roads, the cost being dependent upon the mileage covered and the time of day travelled.

It's suggested this would raise some £28 billion which could then be spent on public transport schemes including a new high speed link between Scotland and London and the expansion of key airports.

There are a number of points about these proposals, if the speculation is correct, that bother me greatly.

Firstly, much of the congestion on the roads occurs in the South and the Midlands and in particular in and around our major employment centres. Government policy is already pushing the expansion of these towns and cities through housebuilding and planning guidelines. Wouldn't any money raised be better spent on improving public transport links in, out and around these locations?

Secondly, why an expansion of airports? One week we are being told that cheap air travel is environmentally harmful and should be curtailed through higher taxation either of air travellers or removal of the lower rate of tax on aircraft fuel enjoyed by airlines. Again, the congestion comes at a local level, regional or international air travel won't remove this. I've yet to travel to or from an airport which doesn't appear to attract an increased amount of road traffic in relation to its surrounding.

Finally, I fundamentally have a problem with the principle of furthering taxation (for this is what road pricing would be) without the removal of tax burdens elsewhere. Too often it appears that we're told the only way to change our behaviour is to levy a financial charge. Under this government that's been a cover for just increasing the tax burden by stealth.

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, recently spoke of introducing taxation to encourage businesses to reduce their carbon emissions. He pledged to use this income to reduce the tax burden on business elsewhere however. That's a principle I'd like us to follow in this case too.