There is a TV programme on Channel 4 at 8.00 pm tonight (23/5/2024) entitled “The War on Britain’s Motorists” that should be worth watching. It may cover the poor quality of Britain’s roads and no doubt fixing the potholes will be in every party’s general election manifesto. But will a few more millions of pounds to patch the odd hole really solve the problem? I think not.
Parliament has passed the Automated Vehicles Act which means vehicles with no human driver in charge could be legal by 2026. I am sceptical that this will prove of benefit other than to taxi and minicab services. In London I am not convinced that SatNav systems are good enough to know all the roads well enough to avoid mistakes. We will have to see how this works out.
Shahzad Sheikh has reported that one in four road deaths are caused by drivers or their passengers not wearing seat belts. See https://browncarguy.com/2024/05/21/1-in-4-road-deaths-due-to-no-seatbelt/ . This is not new news to me as it was reported many years ago in my local borough of Bromley. The message is clear. However good a driver you think you are buckling up can help protect you against other idiots on the roads, or out of control driverless vehicles.
The Government has launched a Public Consultation on the registration of classic or modified vehicles. See https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/registering-historic-classic-rebuilt-vehicles-and-vehicles-converted-to-electric-call-for-evidence . This will be of interest to anyone who runs classic cars or modifies them.
The US Embassy is refusing to pay a claim of £14.6 million in Congestion Charge Fees, and some other embassies are also objecting. They claim it is a tax and hence are exempt. Comment: They are right. “Charges” invented by TfL are indeed taxes and they should not pay as foreign embassies are exempt from state taxes.
Roger Lawson
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