Sunday, March 30, 2008

15mph Speed Limits on the Way

New eco towns are to have 15mph speed limits, which will also be enforced on the main roads leading into them, combined with car-free town centres. Don't expect too many visitors.

Housing minister Caroline Flint has said:

"These developments will be exemplars for the rest of the world, not just the rest of the country. It's critical that we get it right - and I make no apology for setting the bar as high as possible. We have a unique opportunity to deliver a programme which will genuinely revolutionise the way people live"

How exactly this would be revolutionary living we're not quite sure. Car-free towns existed throughout the 19th century and before, and people also used to travel around at 15mph. On horseback.

It's incredible how cars are continually targeted yet other high CO2 emitters are overlooked. What about shipping? It's an industry that produces twice as much CO2 as airlines, but escapes any action. Perhaps because it's a low profile industry which wouldn't directly affect people.

But then we have to save the polar bears. Or do we? Polar bear numbers are soaring whilst we have our lives further inconvenienced by ridiculous rules... 15mph speed limits, £25 congestion zone for many vehicles, fortnightly rubbish collections. How long until we have a tax on breathing?

Friday, March 28, 2008

Where do you need parking?

We're seeing an increasing number of people looking for daily parking, particularly in areas throughout London.

The London authorities are attempting to make it harder to park your car through double-yellow lines, closing car parks, and overzealous parking wardons.

However, you can find a convenient off-street parking space with us in many popular locations, including parking near Twickenham, Wembley Stadium Parking, and for commuters parking near Canary Wharf.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Trying to park - Video

We've all seen people struggling to park their car but anyone would struggle to do worse than the motorist in this video:

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Adjust Traffic Lights to Battle Congestion

Despite the congestion charge London is still renowned as having traffic problems, problems that are only going to get worse over the coming years.

So what should be done?

The Conservatives believe that the solution lies in adjusting traffic lights as Theresa Villiers, Shadow Transport Minister, has said:

"We will have to look closely at traffic management. The Ken Livingstone way is to actively try to clog up traffic with no commensurate benefit to the pedestrian or cyclist. To tackle congestion we need to look at traffic light re-phasing and getting rid of traffic lights that actually cause congestion."

And they may have a point. Only recently research was done highlighting the benefits of removing traffic lights, suggesting that this would reduce congestion and save lives. Radical thinking but perhaps it's worth a try.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

12 Websites to get you through a Recession

With the banking crisis resulting in stock markets across the world falling there are ongoing worries that the UK could experience a recession. Therefore we’ve trawled the internet to put together our top 12 websites to get you through a recession:

1. PetrolPrices.com – oil prices have soured above $100 a barrel and show no sign of falling back down to their previous levels. However, you can visit PetrolPrices.com to discover where the cheapest petrol in your local area is. Prices can vary by up to 15 pence per litre so it’s well worth checking it out.

2. Liftshare – car sharing is extremely under-promoted despite offering substantial environmental and cost benefits. Only a 3.6% increase in car occupancy would have the same impact on carbon dioxide levels and road congestion as doubling the number of people who use buses. What’s move, car sharing can halve the cost of driving to work every day. With over 200,000 members you’ll have a good chance of finding fellow commuters traveling in your direction.

3. YourParkingSpace – whilst on the subject of motoring we thought we’d mention ourselves. If you own a driveway, parking space or garage you can rent it out, a simple way to bring in over £1000 each year. We also take no commissions or charge any fees to advertise your space.

4. MoneySupermarket – with the UK economy in a tight spot with rising inflation it’s unlikely that it’ll be possible to lower interest rates much in the foreseeable future. But you can still lower your monthly payments through comparing 8,500 mortgages at MoneySupermarket.

5. uSwitch – we all use gas, electricity and water so take a look at uSwitch to see whether you can save any money on these essential bills. They’re an impartial comparison service so are well worth checking out as the savings can be significant over the course of a year.

6. MyVoucherCodes – if you shop online you’ll be well aware of the promotional code option that is present almost every time you make a purchase. Ever wonder where to get these promotional codes? Simply pop along to MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, select the retailer you’re planning to purchase a product from, and various vouchers will be displayed.

7. PayPerPost – saving money is all very well but it also helps if you make some extra income. This is where PayPerPost comes in, a website where you can find companies willing to pay you to write about them on a blog. If you have the time set up a blog for free using Blogger or Wordpress, write a few articles over the next 30 days, and then join PayPerPost and start getting paid. Other similar sites are ReviewMe and BlogAds. An extra £100 per month is a very realistic target.

8. Price Runner – with your extra income you may decide that you can spend a little but make sure you get the best prices. Compare prices of many goods on Price Runner, then pop along to MyVoucherCodes to see whether any vouchers are available before making the purchase.

9. eBay – we’ve all heard of eBay and it’s still far and away the best place to sell your possessions. De-clutter your house this spring and you could make a small fortune on eBay.

10. Money Saving Expert – this is a website that includes a wealth of money-saving tips, including credit card comparisons, how to claim back bank charges, and how to lower your council tax band.

11. CBFSMS.com – for all those who frequently send texts on their mobile phones, you can now drastically cut the cost of your mobile by sending free texts at CBFSMS.com. The savings can be particularly significant if you’re on pay as you go, and if you’re wondering whether a free international text service exists, well, it does – check out SendSMSNow.com

12. Train Delays – if you commute to work on the train you’ve probably experienced more than your fair share of delayed trains. Now you can claim compensation for every one of your train journeys that have been delayed by over 30 minutes or cancelled. Find current delays and information on how to claim at TrainDelays.co.uk. And whilst you’re waiting around for your delayed train why not get 20% off food and drink at railway stations using the BiTE card.

Know of any other useful sites? Feel free to leave a comment or drop us an email.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Car parking at hospitals - should it be free?

Recently car parking charges at Welsh hospitals have been abolished, leading to a row between the UK and Welsh Health Ministers.

UK Health Minister Ben Bradshaw believes that it doesn't make sense to "subsidise" car parks when the money could be spent on patient healthcare, although this was countered by Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart saying

"The statement actually sounds like sour grapes from the Department of Health because they've been probably having a lot of flak because they haven't looked at these issues themselves."
Elsewhere across the UK hospital parking charges vary greatly:
  • England - parking can cost up to £4 per hour
  • Scotland - a £3 a day cap on parking
  • Northern Ireland - similar to England in that local health managers decide on the fees

So what do you think? Are hospital parking fees simply just an underhand way to charge for hospital visits or instead of subsidising hospital car parks should the money be spent on patient care?

Friday, March 21, 2008

The 10 Craziest Parking Tickets

Have you ever felt like you've been targeted unfairly by a parking warden? It may be time to think again - check out these Ten Craziest Parking Tickets of All Time.

A truck stuck because of a collapsed road, a car left by the owner because he was having a heart attack, a driving instructor pupil who stalled when attempting a 3 point turn, a horse left in the street, and a 20-ton snowmobile which has never left Sweden. What do they all have in common? They all received a parking ticket of course.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Westminster Common Sense Parking?

At the end of January Westminster council announced a series of long overdue common sense parking measures aimed at no longer using parking enforcement as a money-making measure.

The new common sense measures included:

- White disabled badge holders now have a month to renew their expired permits.
- Five minute allowance for resident permit holders on single yellow lines.
- Resident permit holders can park in a suspended bay within their own zone for 2 days before being given a ticket.

Unfortunately it now appears that Westminster parking wardens have also adopted a new approach to issuing tickets which wasn't mentioned back in January, namely placing out of order signs on parking meters only to then remove these signs and issue a ticket once motorists have parked there.

Know of any other parking enforcement scandals? Why not drop us an email.