motoway madness
Dec. 12th, 2003 11:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dafthis week saw the opening of britain's first motorway toll road. a 27 mile stretch of road [formerly known as the birmingham northern relief road] provides an alternative route between junctions 4 and 11 on the m6.
the road is privately operated by a company called midlands expressway limited (MEL), who has overall responsibility for the operation of the road until 2054, when it will be handed back to the government.
ordinarily, this would not be cause for concern. some might even go as far as to say
in order to create the necessary congestion on the motorways around birmingham to justify the opening of the m6 toll, the department for trade and industry have begun the implementation of what, i'm told, is called "the sleeping policeman project". i've been reliably informed that this project will involve the construction of hundreds of speed bumps along the m6, m42 and m40. hopefully this will generate sufficient traffic volume to justify the vast expense and environmental damage that has been incurred as a result of the new toll road.
the picture below shows a section of the m6 after the implementation of project sleeping policeman.
not unexpectedly, the department for trade and industry have been unavailable for comment. and the most i managed to get out of midland expressway limited was 404 error.
the road is privately operated by a company called midlands expressway limited (MEL), who has overall responsibility for the operation of the road until 2054, when it will be handed back to the government.
ordinarily, this would not be cause for concern. some might even go as far as to say
"oooh, isn't that a good idea? they're trying to reduced the congestion on the roads around birmingham. it's about time the government did something about the m6. it's always jammed for miles and miles. and wedo need toll roads. it'll help us become more like the french which will facilitate our assimilation into the european community. what a good idea."but they'd be wrong. it is little more than a thinly veiled money making scheme...
in order to create the necessary congestion on the motorways around birmingham to justify the opening of the m6 toll, the department for trade and industry have begun the implementation of what, i'm told, is called "the sleeping policeman project". i've been reliably informed that this project will involve the construction of hundreds of speed bumps along the m6, m42 and m40. hopefully this will generate sufficient traffic volume to justify the vast expense and environmental damage that has been incurred as a result of the new toll road.
the picture below shows a section of the m6 after the implementation of project sleeping policeman.
not unexpectedly, the department for trade and industry have been unavailable for comment. and the most i managed to get out of midland expressway limited was 404 error.