This must explain why so many people are parking further away from their destinations and walking the rest of the way and why nobody is idling outside my children's school and nursery anymore.
The good news is that people are walking the last 65 yards of their one-mile car journeys to absorb the impact of 3.7% rise in petrol prices.
I might add that it will affect the price of electricity too. But I just had my ebike serviced and the report told me I've only used 40kWh over 2,555 miles since I've owned it. And that's often with 2 kids on the back.
I'm sure some are also incorporating drops offs and other "runs" too. Anecdotally though, I know lots who think nothing of driving short distances like this - I used to drive a mile to work myself. Probably just a habit as I'd recently passed my test and got my first car.
I suppose there will be situations where driving makes sense or is unavoidable but it's not difficult to see why congestion and parking is such an issue in many towns and cities.
Our estate is just under 2 miles from the local secondary school so pupils here won't qualify for school transport. The bus is £1 return but many parents still drive their kids to school. Some even drive one child while their sibling goes on the bus!
I was looking through the Census stats recently and more than 5.8 million non-disabled people in England and Wales who work less than 1.2 miles (2km) from home travel by car. It's the most common form of transport for non-disabled people who work less than 1.2 miles away from home.
I see that group are now pleading for new members and distributing flyers in case the social media algorithms decide they no longer want to keep everyone addicted to their platforms by showing them content they're interested in.
These are the same people that think every government/council decision should be put to the electorate.
I poll peeve of mine is news reporting on a poll without citing the poll itself.
This reminds me of holidaying in Dubai. You can't walk anywhere safely (although many do walk along the highways even though it's unsafe).
The car parks in my town make on average £600 a day so goodness knows how much they throw away by offering free parking on busy days - definitely enough to put on some transport (many of these events are on a Sunday when there are no buses).
Our council does "free parking days" to "help the local economy," but only does them for events that will be popular anyway. Commuters and visitors who could walk/cycle take up parking spaces so people who drive from further afield can't park. Nobody seems to get that this is a bad thing.
I'm treading a fine line at the moment. I'm saving my "the number of non-disabled people who drive less than 1.2 miles to work in this area, according to the 2021 Census, is equivalent to a 19-mile queue of cars" post for when I've finally had enough.
For a laugh, I'm currently a member of a local "motorists" FB group, which is just a vehicle for people to moan about cyclists, cycle lanes, the Lib Dem council, and speed limits. There's always people complaining about the cost of motoring while opposing schemes to make it easier not to drive.
As the pic shows, Oatly already calls it a "drink" and the messaging on the side of the version I buy seems to be trolling the dairy lobby by talking of "seeing into the future" about our love for an oat "drink." This feels like it's been good publicity for milk alternatives.
Few of the "chocolates" I had at Christmas tasted like they had much cocoa in them TBF.
I used to love trains (well, still do) and Poole Park was 241 - the miniature railway and the actual railway over the lake.
I don't understand why so few high streets have anything for kids. Mine constantly badger me to visit the towns and retail parks that have play areas. And who can forget the excitement of playing on the wooden play sculptures in the Dolphin Centre in Poole.
Screenshot that says "If you would like to follow this incident on X, please use #Horsham"
Astonishing that a public transport information provider can't provide real-time updates on its website these days*
*Rather than on a platform that reaches less than 4 in 10 UK adults in a typical month and now hides real-time updates behind a login.
I did an FOI asking for the data that shows free parking supports/boosts the local economy as mentioned on the Dorset Council website.
The response: "There is no data collected for this."
Our running group usually has about 30 runners. Last night, 4 of us turned up.
I failed first time - I suppose it's easy once you have 27 years of experience! I wonder how many don't drive because they couldn't pass. I think I know someone who took more than 5 attempts.
Astonishing when you consider it's not actually very difficult.
Car not giving way on wrong side of road.
Car not giving way at junction.
Very dicey cycle on the school/nursery run this morning. I'm not sure what it is that makes people so impatient when there's a bit of rain.
(Our school allows parents to drive into the car park and drop kids off within yards of classrooms. And yet some are still too impatient to queue so they turn around on the zig zags at the school gates and drop them there.)
A big issue around here is we're on the border of 2 authorities and if schools make drop-off less convenient parents will take their kids - and their funding - to another school/authority. There needs to be a national policy IMO - starting with no non-essential vehicles allowed in school grounds.
I always think he looks like he's trying to do some mental math.
Green King "IPA" sums him up.
He'll change his mind when a vaccine manufacturer donates to Reform.
Gate on NCN 26
Gate on NCN 26
Gate on NCN 26
NCN 26 new segment before path improvements with no gate.
We have a lovely new path on a previously uneven (putting it mildly) segment of the National Cycle Network (Route 26).
I'm trying to work out why it needs 3 gates now. Not great for cyclists and horse riders (it's part of a bridleway).
