Traffic...

[JamesL]

Maybe I'm getting old, but is traffic getting worse? Volume rather than standards (and tbh people do seem to be more bike aware these days)?

When I started my London gig 10 years ago I set it up so I went in to London on a Monday night, back on a Thursday night; working Monday and Friday from home. Monday nights are still quiet, but Thursdays can be serious stuff. I've had a number of recent cr4ppy Thursday trips, and last week did the 15 or so miles from round the M4/M25 junction to the Marlow turnoff in no more than 2nd gear, and that was on the R100RS, which is God's gift to filtering... OK so it was rush hour, dark and raining, but does society really expect people to live like this - slave away all day then spend Lord knows how long in stationary traffic to get home?

Otoh maybe it's the economy picking up and we should all be grateful for the chance to queue! Dunno; and at least I'm not trying to commute over the Forth Bridge.

[f90x]

I agree. I've had this same conversation a couple of times of late. I think this last year (last 6months specifically) have got much busier in London. I have a couple of clients in the Ascot and Surrey areas that I've been driving to over the last 18-24 months and I have to leave at least half an hour earlier these last six months or so to achieve the same arrival time as 1-2 years ago.

[bigblackfalco]

Agree. More road users. More road works .... plus all the cycle route works in central London.
There's been a lot of talk of the way people don't need to work in London anymore/working from home/flexi-time, but I've yet to see this have an effect on traffic levels on all roads.

[nab 301]

Different country but same complaint , I guess it's an upturn in employment numbers. The last 12 months in Dublin, traffic seems to have ground to a halt. Using the 11S for commuting is out of the question ( alhough I rarely did anyway). Currently use an FX650 , fits thorough almost any gap in standard trim and has a decent turning circle if not.
I've used my Enfield a good bit too and strangely gaps seem to open up more easily . I guess something that sounds /looks totally different is more easily noticed by stressed out drivers.

[boxerscott]

You poor buggers, I agree, your communications are piss poor, crowded trains, traffic jams but hey! your gonna get a third runway at Heathrow! this is fantastic news and what we all need to boost our economy by £Billions, of which we will all share.

I so envy you lot of your fantastic high streets full of takeaways and laundrys. What a third world Shxthole we have become.

[GerryB]

I too have noticed traffic getting stupid .

Over the last year , my commute to and from work at 6am and 7 pm , it used to be empty roads at 6 am .

The last year the traffic has grown amazingly , and I have no idea what has caused it ?

But , what used to be a half hour trip , nowadays is much longer, depending on what numpty idiots are up and about .....

[dave the german]

Try doing it for a living - no wonder we're about 75,000 drivers short. Too much stress, too little money $hit heads for transport managers - I could go on.....

[Blackal]

Try doing it for a living - no wonder we're about 75,000 drivers short. Too much stress, too little money $hit heads for transport managers - I could go on.....

75,000!?

Two things spring to mind.......

Usually a shortage of personnel - would increase demand, and day rates?

What would the roads be like with an extra (say) 60,000 trucks in use?

Al

[boxerscott]

I am thinking that Hermes, Amazon, Ebay are factors creating an army of self employed couriers

A truck can be shared by 2 drivers doing shifts? Someone in the know told me so

[dave the german]

The trucks are already there Al, just no bums on the seats. It's an ageing workforce and no one wanting to come into the induztry. Haulage today is a 24/7 industry but check out how many trucks are parked up at times. A truck is only making money if the wheels are turning and rates are so competitive that although thwre is a great demand for drivers, there isn't the money to reward them. Many drivers stay with the job because it's all they've ever known and it takes a lot of guts to change

[GerryB]

The trucks are already there Al, just no bums on the seats. It's an ageing workforce and no one wanting to come into the induztry. Haulage today is a 24/7 industry but check out how many trucks are parked up at times. A truck is only making money if the wheels are turning and rates are so competitive that although thwre is a great demand for drivers, there isn't the money to reward them. Many drivers stay with the job because it's all they've ever known and it takes a lot of guts to change

Speaking for myself , its a tough industry .

Way back in my youth I drove for a few years , until I basically almost had a melt down.

In South Africa , there were no laws etc to protect drivers , and the unscrupulous transport owners forced almost impossible hours on the drivers .

We'd be sent on a trip from Durban to Cape Town , over a 1000 km , in a truck loaded with 40 tons of carpets, and they expect you there in under 24 hours .....
Bear in mind some of the mountain passes would take an hour and hundreds of gear changes to travel 20 km....

Plus the clerk would want you to wind an artic into the middle of town during rush hour to deliver a shoe box carton that "just drop this off on your way through" ......

All well and good . But wages were basic , but attractive bonus to be paid ....
However , the bonus were never paid .

They would have the tacho cards read by an expert , and the slightest negative , you'd lose the bonus ....

So the tacho report would say " after 16 hours driving it was noted that the speed crept above the company imposed limit on 3 occasions and 4 erratic gear changes were noted " .....

Man oh man , getting shouted at because you pulled over for 5 hours sleep on the trip ..... Don't you realise that we needed you to get the carpets off loaded so we could bring fruit to Joburg Market ? .....

No , the industry really needs a set of rules that all obey .

The dodgy operators undercut the legit guys , the dodgy guys employ dodgy drivers and so it goes on ....

When I finished in the job , I'd not had a night in my own bed in 6 weeks , and desperately needed a short break , boss went ape at me kicked my motor cycle over and told me to eff off ...

I did , and never went back on the trucks .

But I never lost my sympathy for the guys that do the job , a hard thankless job , where in the main they are treated like sh1te by every one .

[slparry]

The trucks are already there Al, just no bums on the seats. It's an ageing workforce and no one wanting to come into the induztry. Haulage today is a 24/7 industry but check out how many trucks are parked up at times. A truck is only making money if the wheels are turning and rates are so competitive that although thwre is a great demand for drivers, there isn't the money to reward them. Many drivers stay with the job because it's all they've ever known and it takes a lot of guts to change

<snip>

When I finished in the job , I'd not had a night in my own bed in 6 weeks , and desperately needed a short break , boss went ape at me kicked my motor cycle over and told me to eff off ...

<snip>

At that point I'd have ended up sleep in a police cell as I'd have mashed the idiot

[GerryB]

[/quote]

<snip>

When I finished in the job , I'd not had a night in my own bed in 6 weeks , and desperately needed a short break , boss went ape at me kicked my motor cycle over and told me to eff off ...

<snip>
[/quote]

At that point I'd have ended up sleep in a police cell as I'd have mashed the idiot[/quote]


True .... but some times circumstances determine that you walk away ...

He was a bastard, and had all his henchmen standing there to back him up ....

I was alone , and had I attacked him , as I wanted , it'd have ended very badly for me .

I did report him to the tax man though , and I heard via the grape vine that they had a very in depth investigation and audit ...

[Blackal]

The trucks are already there Al, just no bums on the seats. It's an ageing workforce and no one wanting to come into the induztry. Haulage today is a 24/7 industry but check out how many trucks are parked up at times. A truck is only making money if the wheels are turning and rates are so competitive that although thwre is a great demand for drivers, there isn't the money to reward them. Many drivers stay with the job because it's all they've ever known and it takes a lot of guts to change

I realise the trucks are in existence - but was making the point that their "use" on the road - would have a sig effect.

It's a tough game - for sure.

Al

[das bike u1100s]

I drive " Trucks" for a living, class 1, not that that's any distinction for any class of lgv or drivers who use the highways in any form.
the standards of road driving in my opion have plummeted over the last decade.
Highway code? Its more a case they have a horn and prepared to use it when you get in their way when undertaking/cutting up/ or your showing thought to other road users, slowing them down.
the driving standards today are crap and only going to plummet further.
I am not allowed to show my thoughts or views to these "road users"
ps.
im not aged either
anybody who would like to criticize truck drivers ought to sit in their seat first, before criticising.