Traffic idea. Far-fetched:yes. Workable:maybe.

Lord Nikon

Just an idea, slate me if you will.

Buses are faster than trucks.
Trucks are slower than cars.
Buses are slower than cars.
Amount of buses + amount of trucks = amount of cars.
Put buses and trucks in bus-lanes.
Buses can overtake trucks if they need too.

Trucks cause alot of holdups at traffic lights for other cars. So, let them use the bus-lane. Buses could switch between lanes.


Radical thinking may not be wrong.

Andrew Duffy

Here's a better one:

Trucks carry freight
Trucks cause virtually 100% of all damage to our roads
Trucks are major pollutors of our towns and cities
Railways carry freight
Railways create much less pollution than trucks

Answer: Legislate so that trucks can only be used to carry freight to and from rail depots.

Floater

Originally posted by neuromancer

Trucks cause alot of holdups at traffic lights for other cars. So, let them use the bus-lane. Buses could switch between lanes.

Nothing over 3,5 tonnes is allowed in most continental European cities.

Trucks are for motorways and industrial zones fed by ring roads and expressways. There should be no question of allowing them on city streets (bus lanes or otherwise), except in exceptional circumstances controlled by permit.

Aside from the damage to roads and slowing up of traffic and accidents they cause, the pollution (PM10 etc + noise) they generate is surely as unacceptable and dangerous as passive smoking exposure?

While the better diesel car engines have become relatively clean over the past three years or so, the same can't be said for diesel truck engines which are under a great deal of stress pulling a heavy load setting off from traffic lights. A diesel engine under stress produces a geometric increase in pollution, compared with a similar diesel engine idling or cruising on flat ground. The start stop of city traffic which incorporates trucks is not conductive to a healthy environment. The same goes for diesel buses!

Floater

Victor

Originally posted by Andrew Duffy
Answer: Legislate so that trucks can only be used to carry freight to and from rail depots.

I think there are EU level competition rules involved here. CIE used to have a monopoly on freight over 15 miles (Roadstone, with a depot 16 miles from Dublin, built their own private road for a mile). This prevented any foreign operator from entering the Irish market, so the system was changed to licenced haulage (there are also separate tax compliance issues with haulage).

States are however allowed subsidise rail freight (which the Irish government refuses to do).

MadsL

Ban commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes between the hours of 8.00-9.00am & 5.00-6.00pm

Should make a huge difference to rush hour traffic.

Andrew Duffy

I think there are EU level competition rules involved here

True. Pity that. My answer would be "f**k 'em", but I don't think that would be a runner.