Bristol Traffic Taliban

[doodab]

Gloucester Road prides itself on being one of the only remaining 'independent' high streets in Britain.
The argument is that small business owners' trade will suffer due to parking restrictions forced upon their customers.

There isn't really a choice to 'adapt'...

I used to live there, and a little further down on Stokes Croft as well. I'd be surprised if they are that reliant on cars as it's a residential area with a large student population most of whom would presumably shop on foot. But I guess it's having an impact.

[Dominic Connor]

The problem with Bristol...

The problem with Bristol is in fact the same as any other local council, it is the voters who put idiots in power.

The vast majority of votes in local elections are decided on national issues like unemployment, immigration, bankers, wars, etc which have absolutely nothing to do with parking enforcement, bins being emptied and local government corruption.

That means to climb the local authority greasy pole, you have to please your own local party, not the voters.

So if (as in Bristol) there is a strong Green element to local parties, that is who you must keep happy.
In some places like Tower Hamlets it is pleasing politically active Moslems, in Edinburgh it is cosying up to sexually criminal Christians, the name of the problem group may vary from place to place, but not the pattern.

I would actually be quite shocked if some of the money the council spends on enforcement didn't end up in the pockets of local officials, most people would agree with me, but still not modify their vote as a result.

Many people cannot even tell you which party is in control of their area.

Here's a test for the politically astute members of CUK, name one thing in the last two years that your council has done that you think was rather good ?
Nothing ?
Really ?

So you'll vote according to your view on the NHS or tax and keep bitching about parking.
...or not vote at all.

You deserve what you get.

[minestrone]

I'm telling you, it has to be gentile.