Leasedrive Velo Blog

Roddy Graham, Commercial Director

It’s flattering to know that people like reading my blogs. Some have even told me that they are compulsive reading. Blogging certainly does seem to reach the parts others cannot reach.

An MEP, Daniel Hannan, certainly seems to think so. He made a speech to the European Parliament that has sky-rocketed him into the political stratosphere. It wasn’t publicised but hit the charts when it got picked up in the States. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, eat your heart out.

If you’re interested you can view it below:

In his blog, Daniel Hannan, attempts to understand why. I’ve reproduced some of his blog below. Highlighted is his reference to the power of blogs.

The answer is that political reporters no longer get to decide what’s news. The days when a minister gave briefings to a dozen lobby correspondents, and thereby dictated the next day’s headlines, are over. Now, a thousand bloggers decide for themselves what is interesting. If enough of them are tickled then, bingo, you’re news.

Now when I first started this blog, I wondered how effective it might be, or how long it might last. Well, I’m still writing some two years down the road. Regular readers know full well I’m not shy of the odd rant – all with due reason.

Clearly, with a changing media landscape, blogs have a more powerful place. Hence, why I participate. It gives me voice for strongly held opinions – ones which I hope are shared by others.

If you thought Mr Hannan was having a go, watch this space.

I’m girding myself for a big pop at Government.

Roddy Graham, Commercial Director

When will this government ever learn? It seems that despite the economic spiral, it is hell-bent on spending money as if it was going out of fashion.

The latest example is a £7.75m UK Transport Research Centre. Hold your breath – it’s going to shape the future of the UK transport industry! Actually, thinking about it, don’t bother, otherwise you’ll soon be dead.

UKTRC, unveiled by transport minister, Andrew Adonis, is based in three places – Imperial College London, University College London and the University of Leeds. That’s a great start – a centre in three places. Now that’s what I call really joined up thinking but then again Government is notorious for chalking up expenses, so why make any exception?

Apparently, the UKTRC will draw on scientific advisers from across the UK to develop a sustainable transport future. How many times have we been promised that one?

Now I may be accused of prejudice but our neighbours here in Wokingham, TRL, seem to have an unbelievable wealth of expertise in the field of transportation. TRL, Mr Adonis, stands for Transport Research Laboratory. Pay them a visit. We’ve also got MIRA. Why the need for yet another think-tank? Now’s the time to economise and make use of the resources we already have at our disposal.

And, as I’ve stated many times before, we don’t want promises but action. Time to ‘walk the talk’ Government. We are still waiting for that integrated transport policy promised so long ago.

While I’m on my soap box we also need less degrees in kite flying and more degrees in what will help drive this country forward. So when will Government stop trying to get everyone into higher education and concentrate on delivering degree courses that matter to students with the necessary academic qualifications at prices they can afford? We’re in an economic downturn and the talk this week is of course fees doubling! Our students are debt-ridden enough without setting them the fine example of loading them with even more debt or turning them off a university education for good. The future of our country seems to be darker by the day.

Sounds to me that on various fronts we need to get back to basics.

Roddy Graham, Commercial Director

With the recent high-profile cases involving the use of mobile phones – hands-free or hand-held – it’s a real shame to learn that the Government does not intend to change the current law despite the regular flouting of legislation.

Three points and a fixed penalty does not seem to be any kind of deterrent to the numerous drivers I witness every day chatting away on a hand-held phone, sometimes in the most contorted positions at the wheel. Chiropractors must have a field day, if accident & emergency doesn’t get to them first!

Earlier this year I commented on the 21-year-old young woman who was imprisoned for just 21 months for killing a 24-year-old driver whose stationary car was struck at 70mph. The driver who killed her was using her mobile phone while driving in the dark on wet roads, and had sent and received more than 20 texts before the crash.

Amazingly, in her defence, she stated that she felt that there were times when using a hand-held phone while driving was okay and claimed she could send and receive messages without taking her eye off the road!

And then we had the case of Lord Ahmed who was imprisoned for three months after sending and receiving five texts over 18 miles to a journalist two minutes before being involved in an accident, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old father of two. Note, he was not texting at the time but had been two minutes prior, thus contributing to his careless driving conviction, although the conviction was not related to the crash.

Even users of hands-free devices are not exempt as demonstrated by the recent conviction of a company car director who killed another driver in a crash while she talked on her hands-free mobile.

Our neighbours here in Wokingham, the Transport Research Laboratory, demonstrated last year that talking on a mobile phone can lengthen drivers’ reaction times by more than the legal limit of 80mg of alcohol in the bloodstream.

All the evidence points to a total ban and this has just been supported by an Esure survey stating that two-fifths of drivers would support such a move.