The state of our roads are a disgrace, the speed of reaction and repair is woeful, traffic in Middle is getting worse and is 'Active Travel' a solution for us here in Middle? Let's talk common sense...
Just for a moment, forget the rest of the island, in the same way the rest of the island has forgotten us here in Middle! I am standing for Middle first and foremost. So, let's consider how we can apply my two primary motives for these issues: Common Sense & Accountability.
“ Enough hot-air and empty promises. Enough of these expensive vanity projects. Enough misuse of our money, the taxpayers - we're sick of it and it's time for change.”
As you can probably guess, I've had enough! But rather than just rant and get the blood boiling, what can we actually do about it? Well, that's where some good old fashioned common sense comes into it - and of course, holding those responsible accountable.
It's not Middle's fault!
Look at all the extensive new development in Peel - hundreds of new houses. Most of those new homeowners work in Douglas. Guess what, they drive through Middle! Where was the forethought to consider the impact of increased commuters along the Peel Road? Why haven't the developers, who have made millions (and many would say haven't worried about the infrastructure to support the new homes) been held to account for increased traffic solutions? Why haven't Government realised what would happen. So, Peel and Douglas flourish and no one gives a thought to Middle! Thanks Howie and Bill!
Dare we mention the 'P' word?
The Promenade. No, it's not in Middle, but look at the traffic Middle is experiencing during rush hours with massive back-ups. What happens if someone in Middle needs an emergency service? The most basic 'Root Cause Analysis' (one of the bedrocks of common sense thinking!) can pin these problems at Government vanity projects, Government mismanagement and complete lack of understanding action and reaction! It's almost like we have a Department of Shiny New Things that never looks beyond the 'good news' headline and considers the impact on existing infrastructure.
Active Travel - oh, come on...
Yes, I can absolutely see Middle constituents walking or cycling to work in Douglas along choked main roads (thanks again Peel and Ballasalla!) or narrow country lanes with traffic flying by to avoid the main road traffic! Forget it - once again, no one is thinking about Middle! Whilst cycling and walking are fine hobbies for some, they're only a choice of transportation for a tiny percentage of people. Can you imagine getting the weekly shop in your saddle bags or on an infrequent bus service?
So, stop talking utter drivel and spending a disproportionate amount of taxpayer's money on hobbies and start showing us how we can start utilising cleaner and better transport modes
So, what can we do?
Create pressure for change and make people accountable! But to create pressure we must stand together. I welcome your input to build the full picture which can then be presented to the Minister responsible.
Farewell fossil fuels
As a car and motorbike enthusiast I can't get any more excited by electric vehicles than I can about white goods in the kitchen. But, like it or not, they're an imminent future we all face. So, what are Government doing to help us adapt to this major 'forced' change in our daily lives? What thought has been given to installing home charging stations, and what about the thousands of people who don't have a driveway and have to park on the street - how are they going to recharge their cars? Once again, shallow headline grabbing with no thought on the impact to us, the people who pay for them to dream this all up!
All roads lead to Overspend City
How many times has Richmond Hill been rebuilt in recent years? How happy are you that a £50,000 chip and tar job has become a £500,000 essential repair - allegedly because someone in government specified a type of stone chip that the contractor told them clearly wasn't suitable? Don't even start thinking about Douglas Promenade - it's been one disaster after another, the Promenade walkway has been all but destroyed and will cost millions to fix, the horse trams only go half way, we have psychedelic roundabouts to contend with which one department told us were roundabouts and now we are being told they are unmarked junctions, but at least Douglas Councillors got their names on a plaque by the Bee Gees statue!
If you got this far – thanks for reading. Please do have a look at other pages and articles on my website or 'Stu Peters for Middle on Facebook' and if what I am saying resonates with you, please use the email sign up function or feel free to email me with any questions or concerns: stupeters@manx.net
Best wishes
Stu
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