Mike’s motoring manifesto

All school pupils to receive weekly lessons on the dangers of crossing roads and using bikes and cars. Cycling proficiency tests will return. Older kids should get access to driver familiarisation sessions, hazard awareness courses and first aid training.

Ban on dangerous left-hand-drive articulated lorries in Britain… and right-hand trucks in mainland Europe! Loaded trailers arriving by ferry in the UK must be hauled by Brit-registered RHD cabs on public roads. Vice versa for loads heading for the Continent.

Bus lanes to be scrapped. They discriminate against the heavily taxed car drivers who more than pay their way, while rewarding heavily subsidised public transport passengers who don’t.

Cities and towns must set targets to reduce congestion, improve fuel consumption and raise their average mph… thereby lowering emissions!

Clocks NOT to go back in autumn, resulting in fewer accidents.

Compulsory annual driving appraisals – not tests – for ALL drivers.

Crackdown on noise – especially inexplicably loud two-wheeled vehicles.

Drivers in foreign-registered vehicles must, at the port of entry, provide written proof of name and address… then purchase annual permits to use motorways in the United Kingdom.

Each motorway exit sign to show distance to/direction of nearest non-motorway filling station. Also, more tree-lined rest areas need to be built.

Empty, noisy, thirsty buses to be replaced with clean, quiet, frugal community MPVs.

Every roadside camera to display mph signs (on camera boxes and posts) confirming permitted maximum speed.

Expansion of the road network in line with Britain’s imminent and massive population growth.

Eye-level traffic lights and signs to be attached to existing posts.

Flexible start/finish times for all, so employees don’t travel at the same time as students.

Free parking at national/local government buildings – but only for users of vehicles officially capable of an average 60mpg or more. Politicians and councillors only permitted to park if they use such vehicles.

Government to study transferring ownership and management of national road system to the tens of millions of drivers/shareholders who have directly paid for the network several times over.

Incentives to work from home or local libraries, resulting in more space on choked commuter routes.

Income from ALL motoring-related taxes plus ALL expenditure on car-related schemes to be published annually by Government to illustrate exactly what we pay out… and get back!

Insurance discs on windscreens.

Introduction of 80mph speed limit on dry motorways.

Investigation into colossal subsidies enjoyed by suspiciously profitable public transport entrepreneurs.

Make distinction between legal drink-driving (ie sipping a glass of wine or beer) and illegal drunk-driving (downing several glasses).

Manufacturers to engrave – on windscreens and engine bays – the date individual vehicles are built, ensuring that customers know the precise age of cars on sale at dealerships.

Minimum 55mph for lorries/large vans on motorways and minimum 65mph for motorway cars/car-derived vans. Those unable to achieve these speeds must use slower, neighbouring roads.

Large cities to have huge underground road systems, similar to the layout of the tube train network in London.

Legal requirement on councils, army and other state organisations to use their workforces and equipment to clear roads and pavements of lethal snow and ice.

Lorries and large vans to experiment by becoming the sole occupants of lane one (on two and three-lane motorways) and lanes one and two (four-lane M’ways). Smaller vehicles can briefly enter these ‘Truck Only Corridors’ when joining or exiting motorways.

New homes to have at least one off-road parking space per bedroom. Offices get one per worker or visitor.

No confiscated cars to be crushed simply because they were owned by criminals. Such vehicles should be auctioned, with all profits to charity.

Parking laws, charges, punishments and enforcement methods to be subjected to a public inquiry as this multi-billion-pound ‘industry’ falls into disrepute.

Pursue and fine drivers of vehicles registered abroad who break laws but assume there will be no consequences.

Prosecutions for authorities that allow branches to hide road signs and bollards to remain dangerously dirty or unlit.

Review of every speed limit in Britain. Some need to be reduced and others increased.

Rewards for people who report faulty lights, damaged street furniture, potholes etc. Big fines for authorities that don’t fix them within three days. Corporate manslaughter charges for those whose inefficiencies cause fatalities.

Ruling political parties to be legally obliged to implement promises published in manifestos.

Scrapping of tolls in cities like London and Durham and at bought and paid for bridges/tunnels (eg Dartford in Kent).

Separate vehicles from pedestrians with more raised walkways… or sunken roads.

Simple registration/insurance/tax system for cyclists who must pay for their dedicated lanes.

Skid pan and speed awareness refresher courses for drivers every 12 months.

Street-cleaning and refuse vehicles to operate outside rush hours only, as part of programme to reduce congestion.

‘Speed Kills’ slogan to be replaced by a message urging motorists not to drive INAPPROPRIATELY fast... or slow!

Stricter laws and harsher restrictions for utility companies which cause traffic mayhem when digging up roads.

Truck operators to pay lower taxes. But all HGVs will be banned from travelling on public roads in rush hours. During these periods drivers can load/unload off-road, do paperwork and safety checks, rest, sleep, eat or exercise.

Turning right on a red to become legal – but only when safe to proceed.

Unwarranted 50mph restrictions on motorways to be removed. Such fatuous limits are about revenue, not safety.

White lines and signs to be repainted/repaired/replaced frequently.

Workshops and service receptions to prominently display labour rates (as high as £200 per hour).

Zero tolerance towards car thieves/vandals, foglight abusers and people driving drunk, uninsured, too close to vehicles in front, without a licence or inappropriately fast or slow.