Recent Comments
- Richard Ational on The generation gap
- comparator on Which? sees the light – and Panorama joins in
- Ezra Steinberg on FAQs about the transition to metric signs on UK roads
- philh on FAQs about the transition to metric signs on UK roads
- John Frewen-Lord on FAQs about the transition to metric signs on UK roads
-
Subscribe comments via RSS
Meta
Categories
Category Archives: Transport
‘Optimism bias’ falls from favour
In November 2005, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) produced an estimate of the cost of converting road traffic signs for speed and distance measurements to metric units. Optimism bias accounted for between 26% and 33% of the total overall … Continue reading
Posted in Road signs, Transport
Tagged Department for Transport, imperial road signs, metric road signs
14 Comments
An opportunity for savings overlooked in the comprehensive spending review
In the comprehensive spending review (CSR) there was much talk of making changes to underpin a competitive economy, to put public services on a sustainable footing, fit for a modern age, and to prioritise those areas of public spending which … Continue reading
Posted in General, Transport, Views from abroad
Tagged comprehensive spending review, metric changeover
3 Comments
Southwark goes back to the 1980s
The London Borough of Southwark appears to relish its role as the setting for the BBC’s 1980s retro series Ashes to Ashes, which was filmed on location in the borough. Just a few hundred metres from filming locations, which were … Continue reading
Posted in Road signs, Transport
Tagged Department for Transport, DfT, imperial road signs, metric road signs, Southwark
10 Comments
Sign clutter campaign misses obvious target
The UK Metric Association (UKMA) welcomes today’s announcement by the government of an attack on unnecessary sign clutter, but believes that some obvious targets have been missed: in particular, the Department for Transport’s requirements for local authorities to use multiple … Continue reading
Posted in Road signs, Transport
14 Comments
‘Rebalancing of the UK economy’ postponed?
Metric Views has learned that the coalition government may drop the proposed amendments to road traffic sign regulations, which would have required dual signage of height and width restrictions within four years and which would have achieved savings and improvements in … Continue reading
Posted in Education, General, Road signs, Transport
Tagged DfT, imperial road signs, metric road signs, rebalancing the economy
23 Comments
DfT prefers imperial units to pedestrian safety
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Road signs, Transport
Tagged Department for Transport, DfT, metric, Network Rail, Transport for London
25 Comments
60 km Jubilee Greenway to be signed in imperial
On 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 … Continue reading
Posted in General, Road signs, Transport
Tagged imperial road signs, journey time, Jubilee, kilometre, metric road signs, metrication, minutes
6 Comments
DfT imperialists waste more taxpayers’ money
The 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 … Continue reading
Posted in General, Road signs, Transport
Tagged Department for Transport, DfT, imperial road signs, metrication, speed limit
9 Comments
Crazy proposal to raise speed limits above speed limiter settings
As 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 … Continue reading
Posted in Law, Road signs, Transport
Tagged metric road signs, metric speed limits, metrication, speed limiters
19 Comments
Imperial confusion on new tunnel signs
Transport 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 … Continue reading
Posted in General, Road signs, Transport
Tagged bridge strikes, imperial road signs, metric, TfL, Transport for London
22 Comments