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A way to save us all money and improve the country

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Petherick
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It's a bit of a rant, but also has a serious point;
There has been a fashion over the last few years to turn what were once roundabouts into 'roundabouts with traffic lights on'. I do not believe in the majority of cases that this has helped the flow of traffic. Drive through any town and you will inevitably come across such a roundabout.
Do we really need the lights to be on 24 hours of each day (if at all)? I think not and furthermore, if it happens to be 4 o'clock in the morning, you can bet that you will have to waste time and fuel sitting at the lights waiting for non-existent traffic to pass by.
So if the lights were switched off for say 3 hours at night, a vast amount of electricity and a large amount of petrol/diesel could be saved.
I'm sure we could all get by using these mixed-up abominations of junctions as the roundabouts they used to be, especially since at these hours the chances of actually seeing any other traffic is vastly reduced.

Your comments welcome, just in case it IS just me!

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The_Lhc
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Don't know if they still do it but in Jerusalem 20 years ago after 11pm all traffic lights switched to flashing yellows, which basically meant "go if it's safe to do so", I thought it was an excellent idea then and I still think it's an excellent idea now.

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David@FrankHarvey
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

That means councils doing some work, which means council tax goes up Big smile

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Ravey Gravey Davy
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

The_Lhc wrote:

Don't know if they still do it but in Jerusalem 20 years ago after 11pm all traffic lights switched to flashing yellows, which basically meant "go if it's safe to do so", I thought it was an excellent idea then and I still think it's an excellent idea now.

It is still common practice in some European countries.-I lived in Germany and France in 76 and 78 and it was in place then.

I also believe some councils are trialling it in this country after one council has extended its trial due to its success. 

Edit- it applies to all traffic lights not just roundabouts (except pedestrian of course)

Tartan Man
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Another way of saving the tax payer money is by stopping government owned bank workers  who automatically think they are entitled to thousands in bonuses every year no matter how bad the bank performs. For the rest of us, if we perform that badly we are sacked or made redundant. Their bonus should be that they are still in a job. This money should be used to either sustain or  attract new jobs in strategic areas of the country. Bank profits could also be used to buy Britain back i.e. our own steel,gas,electricity,car industries so we are not over a barrel by foreign companies/countries. I would also like to add that being a Scot I don't think it's fair that we now get free prescriptions where as the English prescription price has just went up.  Rant over.

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hammill
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Ravey Gravey Davy wrote:

Edit- it applies to all traffic lights not just roundabouts (except pedestrian of course)

Portsmouth is trialing it, according to the weekend papers.

Andrew Everard
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

hammill wrote:
Portsmouth is trialing it, according to the weekend papers.

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idc
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Who waits at traffic lights at 2 in the morning when no one else is around?

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Superaintit
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Same here. In Holland the traffic lights switch to flashing yellows after midnight since decades.

 

 

bballtom
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

I work as a highway engineer in central London for a Borough. There are quite a few things we could do, for example, turning off street lights late in the night that could save money but there are more laws around than you could imagine. In the days of corporate manslaughter it takes a very brave highway authority to try something new, it also takes a lot of money to design and implement (trust me it isn’t as simple as just flicking switches) schemes and with funding being cut there is less money available to innovative. That may sound ridiculous and I would totally support any scheme but think how you would feel if someone smashed into the side of you a 3am after going through a flashing yellow. I look forward to the results in Portsmouth

Ravey Gravey Davy
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

idc wrote:

Who waits at traffic lights at 2 in the morning when no one else is around?

Usually a bored copper waiting for an easy ticket.Tongue out

grdunn123
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RE: Off-topic and miscellaneous

Ravey Gravey Davy wrote:

idc wrote:

Who waits at traffic lights at 2 in the morning when no one else is around?

Usually a bored copper waiting for an easy ticket.Tongue out

I think the bored coppers that work at 2 in the morning are about to be laid off too...

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