20mph Average Speed Cameras

2009 I obtained agreement on behalf of Southwark Council from TfL that for the cycle super highway along Southwark Bridge Road (most of its route in Southwark) that it would be 20mph.

Putting self enforcing measures along the road would be really expensive and disruptive.

Separately I’ve been nagging Southwark Labour cabinet members about trialling 20mph average speed cameras.

I’m chuffed to see both moving forward: http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s38028/Report%20-%20Allocation%20of%20discretionary%20funding.pdf

20mph average speed cameras will also have a small £10,000 study about them being applied to Southwark Bridge Road.

I submitted details to them about Siemens having a self funding scheme with 3-4 speeders paying to attend speed awareness courses and some of the fees paid for the £50,000 per cameras pairs and administration.

Hopefully the study concludes this route is suitable. Happy days for an opposition councillor to helps steer an administration policies.

Cost of an NHS stamp

My GP called me last night about a recent blood test. I’ll need another one in a months time.

“Can you please post the blood test form to me?”

GP ” No”

“Why not.”

GP “We don’t post things to patients.”

“But it’s really not convenient to make a special journey to collect a form.”

GP “Can you not come in.”

“I could but it will take 40mins of my time, has to occur when you’re open which is when I’m at work versus the cost of a second class stamp.”

GP “We don’t post things to patients”.

“Could you email me the form and I print it out.”

GP stunned silence.

“It’s really easy to email a PDF document for example”

GP continued stunned silence.

“You really don’t have any stamps.”

GP continued stunned silence.

“So I guess I’ll have to make a special trip and change my working day.”

I hate public services that treat members of the public time with such contempt. In my case the cost of an NHS stamp is 40 minutes of my time and a reorganised work day.

What stories do you have where public services are designed and configured as if from the Stalinist era state?

Liberal Marriage

I was chuffed to see long standing Liberal Democrat policy of equal marriage rights for people who are gay passed by the Commons yesterday. I’m sure gay friends who have civil partnerships will want to get married ASAP.

Hopefully the Lords will pass this legisalation but I suspect with even more fuss.

It was no surprise that the majority of Conservative MPs who voted, voted against gay marriage. They’re conservatives. Fortunately Labour didn’t decided to play silly games as they did with Lords reform. So it was passed 400 to 175.

Amazingly 4 of the Lib Dem 56 MP’s voted against this but with a pseudo free vote that’s not entirely surprising. Lib Dems love to be independently minded.