May I suggest a few decongestant measures to ease congestion on roads in this country? In his inaugural address 20th January 1961 President Kennedy said to his fellow Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

Let us call upon our fellow countrymen to revive the spirit of wartime Britain and do something to help their neighbours, to help their country and to help Planet Earth before we are choked to death with carbon monoxide fumes, crushed to death in daily traffic jams and hold-ups and bored to death with the fulminations of inept politicians whose only response to a crisis is to impose even heavier financial burdens like road-pricing on our long-suffering motor community.

Since our roads are in terminal crisis then we must take critical, surgical measures to ease the problem. There are 24 hours in a day — let’s make use of them. I suggest:

1 Juggernauts, lorries, trucks, vans carrying goods and freight must travel at night. Drivers will have the roads to themselves; there will be fewer hold-ups; they’ll save time, fuel and costs. With heavy goods vehicles off the roads during the day, this should ease congestion for motorists.

2 I stood on the kerb recently and watched ten cars go by. Seven were driver only. In my small sample 7 cars out of 10 were three quarters empty! Could we evoke the community spirit of the British people and their neighbourliness and ask them to double-up in their use of cars? Couldn’t we take a friend, a neighbour, and a fellow traveller on our way to work? (Don’t forget to bring him home!) Be a Christian Samaritan or a Secular Samaritan, whichever you prefer. Help one another. Motoring costs could be shared. If this were done, it would reduce the number of cars on our roads.

3 Firms, factories, companies, businesses, and schools must find a way to stagger the coming and going of cars and people. Why does every school in the country have to start at nine o’clock? Why must all offices open at the same time? Let us spread arrival and departure times to ease driving conditions on the roads.

4 Most children live fairly close to the schools they attend. The school-run by Mums and progeny in cars must be eased. A healthy walk perhaps? The ‘walking bus’? It should not be too difficult to organise. Mothers and children will be fitter and slimmer! Obesity will diminish.

5 This fifth measure is important. It is time that manufacturers took into account the width of roads in this blessed, little island of ours and built the car to fit the road! Most vehicles are far too big for people’s needs. Quart-sized cars into pint-sized roads just don’t go!

John Henry Pool
South Thanet Branch
United Kingdom Independence Party