M-way madness

Jul 23 2008 by Andrew Jackson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HANDS up who likes a traffic jam.

Hmmm, can’t see many.

Maybe that’s why the Government announced a scheme earlier this month that they think may help bring an end to the stop/start procession that is heading west on the M62.

However posters on www.examiner.co.uk didn’t seem as enthused as the Whitehall mandarins.

Dismayed of Dalton said: “Wouldn’t they have done better spending the money on the Leeds super tram and more trains?”

While Mickey Dunne added: “Although I don’t use motorways on a regular basis. I have to agree that it’s a silly idea being allowed to use the hard shoulder.

“What’s to say that encountering a broken down vehicle, isn’t going to make matters worse, it will, and this fact hasn’t been mentioned, unless I’m missing something.”

Is Waspish speaking from experience when he said: “I can just imagine the scene. If there is a major incident in winter. Fire engines and ambulances being held up by Doris and Arthur out for a bumble along the nice big road in their 30 year old Volvo.

“The emergency services wont get past old Arthur, he’s been driving for 65 years and he isn’t going to budge for anyone.”

Mickey Dunne had thought of another problem by this point.

He added: “Who is to say this isn’t going to be a stealth move to introduce another motorway lane, by creating, yes, you’ve guessed, .another hard shoulder.”

Cars seem to be somewhat of a contentious issue among the posters on www.examiner.co.uk

We had previously told you of the ire created by the Government’s plans to change car tax rules, putting £9.4m out of pocket.

That discussion is still going.

Waspish said: “Does it strike anyone else a little bit strange, that the Government are forever telling us how to decrease our carbon footprint, and use less fuel. Yet they all have the use of three cars each on a daily basis, all petrol driven luxury versions, Jaguars, Bentleys and Mercs. Does it not smack as do as I say and not as I do?”