Green policy is bunk (and expensive)
From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.
BORIS Johnson’s policy of making us buy new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2035 misses the essential point. Without fuel, any car or van is useless.
Yet the Government apparently hasn’t even thought about the extra electricity needed for the 38 million vehicles on UK roads. It’s as though Boris, Ed Davey and all the other ‘climate doomers’ think BEVs run on magic dust.
Spare night-time capacity is less than a tenth of what is needed. To cope, we will need to double UK electrical energy production. That’s about 12 new Hinckley C nuclear power stations. Or over 20,000 new windmills (plus their fossil fuel back-ups). Plus replacements for existing generators. Plus spare capacity. Plus doubling National Grid capacity. And re-cabling the streets.
Can anyone take seriously a Government and Opposition that aim to trash almost all the existing road transport and energy sectors – from refineries, to fuel distribution, to the simple act of driving to work – without putting in place the alternative?
This Government green policy is absolute bunk – impossible in the timescale of 15 years, and vastly more expensive than they claim.
From: Shaun Kavanagh, Leeds.
WHILE I generally support the Tory party, I cannot do so in relation to the stance taken by Transport Secretary Grant
Shapps relative to so-called smart motorways.
Clearly he has ignored the comments and feelings of those who have already condemned them, including the AA, RAC, members of the House of Commons and former minister Sir Mike Penning who initially authorised the smart motorway scheme but now appreciates he was misled by Highways England (HE). Can all those organisations be wrong? Of course they can’t, so why does Mr Shapps think he is right?
Most importantly, Mr Shapps has failed those families who have lost loved ones due to unnecessary accidents having occurred on ridiculous smart motorways.
There is absolutely nothing smart about smart motorways, they are simply a death trap with accidents / deaths waiting to happen. No motoring system can be justified when deaths are certain to occur with no preventative measures being in place to prevent such tragedies.
From: Chas Ball, Beaumont Park Road, Huddersfield.
THE membership of the House of Commons Select Committee on Transport was announced last week. Ideally it should include some Northern elected representatives who use the trains, buses and roads as we do – and have experienced the flooding in our region.
But no Yorkshire MPs were “elected” – so who will question the Government and ensure it keeps its promises on transport and on reducing carbon emissions in the region?
There are 16 million people in the north of England covered by Transport for the North. Just one MP out of 11 on the Select Committee – Grahame Morris (Labour, Easington) – represents a Northern constituency.