tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129037502516609710.post433406334456788811..comments2024-03-28T11:13:48.581+00:00Comments on i b i k e l o n d o n: Another small success: where the City of London leads, Transport for London should followibikelondonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978714126105951294noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129037502516609710.post-79531626277933599712012-01-18T15:08:29.660+00:002012-01-18T15:08:29.660+00:00Bold words in the political world, and words that ...Bold words in the political world, and words that Transport for London's Chair, Boris Johnson, could do with reminding himself of. <br /><br /><a href="http://vancourier.co.uk" rel="nofollow">man and van</a>fadrickvagathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11707614523701966233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129037502516609710.post-4072379035099732412012-01-17T10:46:20.056+00:002012-01-17T10:46:20.056+00:00I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say the C...I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say the City is "leading", but certainly it is not dragging its feet to any great extent. Although there are some councilmen who are overtly hostile to cyclists for all the well-rehearsed reasons, most are either supportive or agnostic, but definitely pro-pedestrian (94% of City workers arrive otherwise than by car/taxi) and they see the benefits in taming the motor vehicle.<br /><br />108 doesn't sound like a huge number, and it is less than we had hoped for, but in terms of these consultations it is actually a massive response. It is also about 107 more than last time, in around 2000, and about 106 more than any other interest group outside the statutory consultees managed to produce.<br /><br />It also contained a wide range of city workers, from some real heavy-hitters at major City institutions including law firms, accountants, banks and insurers, through churches and charities to individuals, even cycle couriers - despite this information age, the City still critically depends on hard copy documents, physically signed and stamped, and who do you think carries them from one signatory to another?<br /><br />It all demonstrates that the bicycle is key to the lifeblood of the City. Politicians there are not political in the normal sense - generally they are more-or-less enlightened promoters of business interests and that means promoting personal interests of the people who work in those businesses - mainly not car commuters.<br /><br />Meanwhile at the GLA we have a Mayor and a handful of tory assembly members who evidently identify toryism with promotion of the private car - Boris has come out explicitly announcing himself pro-car as he starts to campaign for May - and the others, I suspect a majority, who would apply tory political philosophy more purely and thus alter the balance between motor and leg-power, always end up circling the wagons whenever the opposition criticises Boris' insane transport policies.Paul Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07929808238663838155noreply@blogger.com