Red lights spell extra tax revenue (From Wirral Globe)

Wirral councillor criticises Government traffic lights plan

1:57pm Tuesday 21st April 2009 in Letters

I was interested to read a snippet recently in a national newspaper that “green wave driving” is to be re-introduced by the Government in terms of ministerial guidance to local authorities.

Green wave driving is the synchronisation of traffic lights which encourages the flow of traffic in one direction.

How often have we drivers suffered the irritating experience of going through a first set of traffic lights on green only to be met but a short distance on by a second set of lights which turns to red just before you reach them?

The exercise is sometimes greatly magnified to the extent that journeys in the city etc can be slowed down substantially with consequent acceleration then braking.

It appears that green wave driving was acceptable policy until this Government, some years ago, decided for fiscal reasons alone that more revenue would be earned from fuel tax etc if cars were forced to stop and start more often by repeatedly facing a red traffic light.

This concept, which flies so much in the face of the energy consumption-conscious society that Government purports to encourage, simply beggars belief. Now of course we have been encouraged by another Govern-ment incentive in terms of a £5,000 grant to buy electric cars which are simply not on the market at present and will not be available till after 2011.

I suspect that few will be persuaded by the sight of Lord Peter Mandelson driving an electric car round a Scottish race circuit at speed?

Is all this just all the familiar spin that we are so accustomed to from this present discredited Government?

David Kirwan,

Independent Councillor, Wirral Borough Council.