Signs indicating the emergency escape routes in tunnels are of critical importance to the safety of tunnel users, given the particular hazards of fire and smoke within tunnel environments. Sadly, the government’s irrational position on units of measure even extends to these safety critical signs, as illustrated by the different units being used by the same authority on adjacent tunnels.
Archive for the ‘Road signs’ Category
DfT prefers imperial units to pedestrian safety
Friday, July 9th, 201060 km Jubilee Greenway to be signed in imperial
Friday, June 11th, 2010On 9th June 1977, the Queen officially opened the Silver Jubilee Walkway, a 21 km walking trail around central London to mark her Silver Jubilee, or 25 years on the throne. Thirty-three years later, work is under way to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a new 60 km walking trail, the Jubilee Greenway, providing walkers with a kilometre to walk for every year of the Queen’s reign.
The UK has a new Government. So what?
Thursday, May 13th, 2010Metric Views reported a few days ago on the mixed fortunes of some of the parliamentary supporters and opponents of a single system of measurement for the UK. This produced several comments about the prospect of a new Government.
DfT imperialists waste more taxpayers’ money
Monday, April 5th, 2010The Department for Transport, who once described metrication of road signs as “a waste of taxpayers’ money”, have themselves been condemned by a House of Commons Select Committee for wasting £71 million on building 66 motorcycle testing stations in order that learner motorcyclists can take the manoeuvring elements of the driving test at the requisite 50 km/h (kilometres per hour), which would be illegal on quiet residential roads in urban areas where tests used to be conducted in the UK. (more…)
Crazy proposal to raise speed limits above speed limiter settings
Friday, April 2nd, 2010As a bizarre consequence of the failure to switch to metric speed limits, the Department for Transport (DfT) is proposing to raise the motorway speed limit of coaches and buses from 60 mph (96.6 km/h) to 65 mph (104.6 km/h). That’s 4.6 % faster than the 100 km/h maximum speed that their speed limiters allow.
Imperial confusion on new tunnel signs
Friday, March 26th, 2010Transport for London (TfL) was today criticised by the UK Metric Association (UKMA) for bungling the erection of new signs at the Rotherhithe tunnel, including banning all vehicles over 33 inches long from using the tunnel – and for wasting up to £6000 on erecting or amending new signs that will soon be obsolete.
Is the DfT part of the Government?
Friday, March 5th, 2010The Transport Department’s refusal to comply with Government policy on metrication is the biggest remaining obstacle to completing the metric changeover. But how can the DfT defend this example of non-joined-up government?
Signs review disregards Welsh road users
Sunday, November 1st, 2009The Department for Transport (DfT) is failing to address the needs of Welsh road users, and international traffic, when considering road sign designs in its Traffic Signs Policy Review.
End of imperial-only restriction signs
Saturday, October 10th, 2009The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced its intention to finally end the use of imperial-only width and height restriction signs on Britain’s roads.
Chaos comes to National Cycle Network signs
Friday, October 9th, 2009In an apparent admission that cycle route signs showing distances in miles are not meaningful to cyclists, the Department for Transport is proposing to allow authorities the option of using signs that show journey times in hrs and mins instead of distances in miles and fractions of miles.