More government support for 4-wheelers, nothing for 2-wheelers....

[Hero Eco]

This maybe of interest to some. Covering a few key facts about the government funding and lack of support:

Why does the UK government continue to support 4-wheelers and neglect 2-wheelers? | My electric road

 

[funkylyn]

Excellent blog Mark, making some very good points.....I have forwarded it onto my FB page.

Lynda

 

[Hero Eco]

Excellent blog Mark, making some very good points.....I have forwarded it onto my FB page.

Lynda

Thanks Lynda!

I have meetings with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Greater London Authority coming up. So hoping to make some headway!

Thanks!

 

[flecc]

Why the government acts in this way appears to be the very poor take-up of e-cars and vans motivating them. This is probably not seen as a big problem with electric two wheelers which are already being bought in reasonable numbers in both e-moped and e-bike forms.

I doubt the relative benefits of electric two wheelers over four wheelers are even being considered.

 

[SRS]

When I look at a line of politicians, all I see is a bunch of fat backsides. Their nests have been feathered and their heads are now fully buried in the sand.

Nothing is going to change for the better until the country is run by caring people who can relate to the man in the street.
Public schoolboys playing out their fantasies is not the way to go.

 

[Hero Eco]

Why the government acts in this way appears to be the very poor take-up of e-cars and vans motivating them. This is probably not seen as a big problem with electric two wheelers which are already being bought in reasonable numbers in both e-moped and e-bike forms.

I doubt the relative benefits of electric two wheelers over four wheelers are even being considered.

Sadly, I think you are right Flecc. Although it is very short sighted of them. Funding could really give the market a catalyst it needs, cars and vans won't be bought unless subsidies are upwards of 50%. Even then, they aren't practical for many...

 

[JuicyBike]

Mark - the money gets printed (Quantitative Easing), given to the bankers (Bonds Purchase), the bankers (Bonuses) buy expensive foreign brands and in the meantime the prudent savers get hit with inflation, insulting rates and have to watch as our trade deficit further hits confidence and prompts another "cycle of madness".

An alternative strategy is to print money to invest in the infrastructure for a greener lifestyle. Investment in green energy rather than bankers contrived bonds is non-inflationary, creates jobs, new markets in new products and is a robust and prudent strategy for the mid term, unlike the panicky, reactionary short-term prop of QE which is typically dissipated abroad.

Did you know that some cities in Germany are now exporting their green energy production and citizens pay nothing for their energy! Here's a glimpse of a coherent, joined-up strategy... video

 

[mike killay]

When I look at a line of politicians, all I see is a bunch of fat backsides. Their nests have been feathered and their heads are now fully buried in the sand.

Nothing is going to change for the better until the country is run by caring people who can relate to the man in the street.
Public schoolboys playing out their fantasies is not the way to go.

The problem is that all parties are run by ex Public School boys.

 

[AlMel]

Maybe initiatives should come more from cities and local communities than national government. Boris’ new Bike Plan has been noticed over here; its vision and scale has aroused quite a degree of awe and respect; indeed envy! The plan even lists the benefits of e-bikes and seeks to promote them. Presumably however, for significant parts of it to be implemented it will require enthusiastic backing from the biking communities.

 

[flecc]

The problem is that all parties are run by ex Public School boys.

Did you know that 18 of the 23 main cabinet members are millionaires?

How can we have any hope that we will be realistically governed.

 

[muckymits]

Mark - the money gets printed (Quantitative Easing), given to the bankers (Bonds Purchase), the bankers (Bonuses) buy expensive foreign brands and in the meantime the prudent savers get hit with inflation, insulting rates and have to watch as our trade deficit further hits confidence and prompts another "cycle of madness".

An alternative strategy is to print money to invest in the infrastructure for a greener lifestyle. Investment in green energy rather than bankers contrived bonds is non-inflationary, creates jobs, new markets in new products and is a robust and prudent strategy for the mid term, unlike the panicky, reactionary short-term prop of QE which is typically dissipated abroad.

Did you know that some cities in Germany are now exporting their green energy production and citizens pay nothing for their energy! Here's a glimpse of a coherent, joined-up strategy... video

Love the roofs that are completely covered, Ive always admired the one at CAT. But those outclass that. Managed to get 16 on mine would of taken 3 more but would of looked odd.

 

[mike killay]

Did you know that 18 of the 23 main cabinet members are millionaires?

How can we have any hope that we will be realistically governed.

What I would to know is exactly how did they become millionaires.
Obviously, being born into a wealthy family gives huge advantages, but as I view all politicians as snouting, trousering, gravy train riders, I have my suspicions.
The current ecig thread shows how corrupting the influence of big pharmaceuticals is and it has long been suggested that cannabis was outlawed by Americans to protect nylon. The reason being that new methods of efficiently stripping hemp for its fibres was likely to damage the prospects of the the then new nylon yarns.

 

[flecc]

What I would to know is exactly how did they become millionaires.
Obviously, being born into a wealthy family gives huge advantages, but as I view all politicians as snouting, trousering, gravy train riders, I have my suspicions.

Many started with large amounts through being in a wealthy family, and of course money makes money anyway, without any effort. But undoubtedly there have been many questionable wealth gains by politicians, the power of high office giving opportunities denied to most. Possibly the main difference between the overtly corrupt politicians in many African countries and some of our own politicians is one of subtlety.

It will be interesting now to see what happens to the 8 month prison sentences of Chris Huhn and Vicki Price.

Lord Taylor (£11,000 expenses fraud) and Lord Hanningfield ((£13,000 expenses fraud) have not long ago both been released from prison after serving barely a quarter of their sentences, and MP Jim Devine similarly did only a quarter of his sentence. "Ordinary" people have to serve at least a half of their sentences, regardless of whether they have a clean previous record or how decent their past.

Previously we've had Lord Archer having trips out of prison to go shopping unaccompanied in local towns, and there's also Ernest Saunders, the ex Guinness director and fraudster. He was released on a medical pretext after serving 10 months of a five year sentence, the reason later shown to be completely untrue, but he was not recalled to prison.

I'll be watching the Huhn/Price outcome with interest.
.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Many started with large amounts through being in a wealthy family, and of course money makes money anyway, without any effort. But undoubtedly there have been many questionable wealth gains by politicians, the power of high office giving opportunities denied to most. Possibly the main difference between the overtly corrupt politicians in many African countries and some of our own politicians is one of subtlety.

It will be interesting now to see what happens to the 8 month prison sentences of Chris Huhn and Vicki Price.

Lord Taylor (£11,000 expenses fraud) and Lord Hanningfield ((£13,000 expenses fraud) have recently both been released from prison after serving barely a quarter of their sentences, and MP Jim Devine similarly did only a quarter of his sentence. "Ordinary" people have to serve at least a half of their sentences, regardless of whether they have a clean previous record or how decent their past.

Previously we've had Lord Archer having trips out of prison to go shopping unaccompanied in local towns, and there's also Ernest Saunders, the ex Guinness director and fraudster. He was released after serving 10 months of a five year sentence on a medical pretext, later shown to be completely untrue, but he was not recalled to prison.

I'll be watching the Huhn/Price outcome with interest.

Don't forget Tony Blair,I am sure he pays every penny tax that he legally has to pay now that he works out of the UK for more than 90 days a year! You have to say he's doing a brilliant job of maintaining peace in the middle east! Worth every penny of his £20 million wages?
I think Teflon Tony slipped,or should I say slivered,out at exactly the right time!

 

[GORDONAL]

What dreadful , damning cynical comments .......... but sadly all true !!!

Alan

 

[flecc]

Don't forget Tony Blair,I am sure he pays every penny tax that he legally has to pay now that he works out of the UK for more than 90 days a year! You have to say he's doing a brilliant job of maintaining peace in the middle east! Worth every penny of his £20 million wages?
I think Teflon Tony slipped,or should I say slivered,out at exactly the right time!

I certainly hadn't forgotten him, or some similarly blatantly wealthy ex Prime Ministers, but I didn't want to name names in an unconvicted context to avoid possible problems for the site administrators.

 

[wissy]

Independence for Wales would give us less millionaire politicians

 

[flecc]

Independence for Wales would give us less millionaire politicians

Until they'd been in office for a couple of years!

 

[amigafan2003]

I'm not sure how you can say they are not setting aside funding for us:-

Boris Announces £913m Vision For London Cycling - BikeRadar

£913m for London alone.

 

[wissy]

Lol 'London alone'