Written evidence submitted by Michael Pilling (CGE0087)
1.0 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
THE AUTHOR
He is 68 and still working, The Managing Director of a LEAN Process Improvement Consultancy
working in the UK and EU.
• He has worked in manufacturing for 50 years and in 60 companies.
• His background is factory re-design and process stream-lining.
• Savings per client circa £50,000 to £2,000,000 per project...
He drives 20,000 to 25,000 miles per year,
• On motorways, A and B roads and country lanes
• Also in and around towns and industrial estates - not built for today’s bigger lorries.
During the period August 2018 – January 2019 he worked in the Netherland’s, Arnhem.
• His project was to help in a company turnaround and improve their productivity
• Making Cost Savings of circa £2,000,000 and many process improvements...
HIS JOB
His job is to help people in business - build a better business...
To Improve Process
To Improve Productivity
To Improve Companies Profits
To Improve Companies Energy Management...
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2.0 THE PROBLEM - AIR POLLUTION
PRESENT PROBLEM - AIR POLLUTION
We can see air pollution hanging over our towns, we can even smell the air pollution.
BELOW ILLUSTRATES
- Two pictures, from BBC TV highlighting the air quality around our schools.
- Two pictures, STREETS IN MANCHESTER - Spring Gardens and York Street
With Double Parking on the road, the bus can't get through...
• This road is a main thoroughfare for busses including double-deckers.
• This road is totally congested and air polluted...
The trouble is, TV presenters and politicians, ‘only talk about the problems’
WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THE SOLUTION or HOW TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE...
As always the solution is simple, if people would stop just talking about the problem,
And organise themselves to “JUST DO IT” - DO SOMETHING, MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN...
3.0 ARNHEM NETHERLANDS ( Early Morning 7.00am )
PRESENT PROBLEM
In Britain our towns and cities are congested and now polluted.
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
THESE ARE VIEWS OF STREETS IN ARNHEM the NETHERLANDS
The centre of the Arnhem is pedestrianised
Only deliveries, residents, disabled, cyclists and pedestrians use the streets.
Traffic uses the “Ring road” and parking off the ring road
People eat out in restaurant’s on the streets
The atmosphere is so clean
4.0 CITY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT - Manchester
PRESENT PROBLEM - CONGESTION AND POLLUTION
I spent a couple of days during April 2019 just walking around the streets of Manchester,
looking at traffic movement around the city. The streets are congested and air quality is poor.
ONE WAY STREETS Congestion: Looking at the street map of Manchester.
• Traffic goes one way, then another, motorists go round in circles looking for a parking space
• Drivers trying to find a short cut through the narrow streets
• Busses are stopped as they can’t get through the parked cars
• Vans can’t make deliveries because of inconsiderate people parking on narrow streets
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA: Pedestrianisation
We can reduce the traffic congestion and pollution in our cities. thinking outside the box
In many cities there are many small back streets and areas that do nothing...
- We can PEDESTRIANISE many streets to eliminate much of the congestion and pollution
- We can design “Ring Road Parking Zones” just outside the centre at £3-4 per day
• Traffic will flow easier - Busses will get through easier
• Delivery Vans can un-load and load easier
• Cyclists could use them and feel safe
• Air conditions will be cleaner
5.0 PARK AND RIDE
PRESENT PROBLEM - TRAFFIC SITUATIONS
I live 10 miles north of Manchester. In 2017 I travelled 22 miles to work in Oldham using the
A580 / M60 / M62 / A6, it took 2 hours some mornings. ( Average speed 12mph )
• Traffic is horrendous...
• It will only get worse in years to come...
• Pollution will increase because of stopped traffic
• New cars and SUVs are bigger and take up more room
• Traffic speed management is meaningless...
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
PARK AND RIDE
We need more parking zones “Out of Town”
- PARK AND RIDE Out of Town “A” FREE PARKING
- Parking on the “Ring Road” “C” £3 - 4 per day
- Parking Areas Big Enough to hold more cars
If we want people to go by bus we need to have a GOOD “Car Parking” infrastructure...
6.0 PARKING CHARGES - Manchester
CITY CENTRE PARKING
I was interested in the NCP parking charges. I am horrified...
I thought Manchester wanted to encourage shoppers and visitor's...
Welcome to Spinningfield’s Car Park -
“It would take 1 hour to get in and out of the car park”
We NEED Sensible NCP parking charges:-
• Up to 4hrs £5.00
• Up to 9hrs £10.00
• Up to 24 hrs £20.00
• Evening Rate £5.00
• Sat / Sun £5.00
7.0 BUS LANES
PRESENT PROBLEM - BUS LANES and CONGESTION
Are Bus Lanes and Bus Stops positioned sensibly ? - Are they “Fit For Purpose”
I drive around the roads and I see:
• Busses not using bus lanes
• Private taxis cannot use bus lanes
• Cars blocking the traffic because they “can’t read” the bus lane road signs...
The illustration is a bus lane in Atherleigh, Gtr Manchester
• Busses don’t use the bus lane...
• Bus Stops are not even in the bus lane
• At the end of the bus lane if a bus stops at a bus stop, the traffic is stopped...
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
- BUS STOPS Should Be In The Bus Lane
- BUS LANES Should be sensibly positioned ( Fit For Purpose )
- Buses And Any Councils Taxis Should Be Able To Use Any Bus Lane...
8.0 JUNCTION CROSS HATCHING
PRESENT PROBLEM - CROSS HATCHING AT JUNCTIONS
Councils are over-doing “Cross Hatching”
Traffic gets stuck on the hatching because it is “too big”...
• It causes more congestion because drivers get stuck on it...
• People race across the hatching so they don’t let anyone in front, then get stuck
• People just ignore the rules, because the rules don’t apply to them...
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
- “Cross Hatching size” needs to be reviewed
- Sensible areas to allow traffic to flow
- Cost savings would be made
- Traffic will flow better
- Pollution will be reduced
9.0 OFF ROAD PARKING
PRESENT PROBLEM - PARKING
Because of the explosion of cars on the road, parking is increasingly difficult.
Cars are parked on the road or pavement:
• congestion is increasing
• cars are getting damaged
• wing mirrors broken off
However:
There are in many streets “bits of land” doing nothing
except collecting dog poo and dumped rubbish.
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
- Build new houses with 2 car park driveways
- Create parking areas on unused land
• This will ease congestion
• Landscape the area
• Reduce dog fouling
• Reduce rubbish dumping
• Reduce Council Costs
10.0 CYCLING / CYCLISTS
PRESENT PROBLEM - CYCLING
Not enough area is given to cyclists.
• There are not enough cycle lanes or areas to encourage people on to cycles.
• In the Netherland’s Arnhem centre has been given to pedestrians and cyclists...
In Britain we do not really encourage cycling, but also:
• Many cyclists DO NOT adhere to the rules of the road
• Many cyclists go through traffic lights on RED
• Many cyclists just drive out of side junctions without looking
• Many cyclists DO NOT have “LIGHTS” on their bikes and “wonder why are knocked off”.
• Many cyclists expect “the motorist to stop for them” when cyclists are in the wrong...
• I’ve seen cyclists “texting on their phone” – NO hands on their bikes...
SOLUTION - JUST AN IDEA
- MORE CYCLE LANES AND AREAS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ENCOURAGE CYCLING...
- Road going cycles when sold – should be sold with 3rd party INSURANCE
- Bicycle's when sold – should be sold with LIGHTS Fitted
- There should be “Cycle Road Safety” lessons in Schools