Eco-driving courses launched in Brighton (From The Argus)
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Eco-driving courses launched in Brighton
2:30pm Friday 8th February 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
Eco-driving courses are being paid for by local authority bosses – as thousands of people remain stuck in tailbacks due to the construction of a cycle and bus lane.
Dozens of people who live in the Lewes Road area of Brighton have taken part in the programme run by Brighton and Hove City Council.
Bosses believe it has helped those that have taken part save up to 33% of their fuel consumption – saving them hundreds of pounds.
The 50-minute courses are being paid for out of a £4 million Government grant which was awarded to the local authority to encourage improvements to the Lewes Road corridor.
The same funding is currently paying for the construction of a cycle and bus lane in the busy dual carriageway – which is causing congestion and delays to thousands of people.
Ian Davey, chairman of the council’s transport committee, said: “This excellent initiative helps residents to save fuel and cash, reduce emissions and drive more safely.
“It’s good not only for the Lewes Road area but for the city as a whole.”
About 70 drivers so far have completed the course.
It sees them fill in a one-week travel diary and then a 50-minute lesson with a professional instructor, which costs £23 a time.
Fuel savings
It is believed they have saved on average £178 and one-third of a tonne of carbon dioxide – about the same as topping up a home’s loft insulation and lagging your hot water tank and pipes.
The council has paid the Energy Saving Trust for £2,440 of driver training time.
Those living in Hanover, Elm Grove and Hollingdean were the first to be offered the courses.
Now locals living in the Coombe Road area, Bevendean, Moulsecoomb and Coldean are invited to sign up.
Among those to have taken part include Kathryn, who lives in the London Road station area She said: “My journeys around the city are short and quite often stop-starty.
“The instructor was really helpful and guided me through ways of driving at the same speed but using the gears and clutch of my car to maximum effect.”
For more details call 01273 290498 or email Simon.Hickmott@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
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Comments(20)
still waiting
says...
2:47pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Fresh air
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2:56pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Crystal Ball
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2:59pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit
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3:12pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Fresh air wrote:Indeed. What a pity they intend to negate it by trying to fit the same amount of vehicles into less road space.
What a good idea - get £4m from national government to help local drivers save money and reduce air pollution for everyone in Brighton - without costing council taxpayers a penny
taman
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3:13pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Well it wont be any different once its completed now will it ? what you see is what your getting.... and the greens admit its being done to FORCE us onto public transport... were they ellected to serve or FORCE .. its disgracefull
Sean Jenkins
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3:30pm Fri 8 Feb 13
taman wrote:Absolutely. It's one lane now, and it will be one lane when it's done. Traffic queueing for a mile staring at an empty bus lane, just like Patcham to Preston Park.
"thousands of people remain stuck in tailbacks due to the construction of a cycle and bus lane."
Well it wont be any different once its completed now will it ? what you see is what your getting.... and the greens admit its being done to FORCE us onto public transport... were they ellected to serve or FORCE .. its disgracefull
When will these people learn: we are in a car because we don't have a choice!
Surely not!
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3:39pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Sean Jenkins wrote:I rather think its designed to get buses past the queus at the traffic lights. Thats what I worked out anyway. I use the Lewes Road frequently and I think that it is long overdue for improvement. Certainly two lanes of traffic racing down to the snarl up that is the Vogue gyratory is ridiculous. of course the reason these things need doing is because the world is full of dumb people who know how to drive efficiently but don't wish to.;)
We all know how to drive more efficiently, we just don't wish to.
Also could someone please explain to me the point of the silly stretch of bus lane they have just completed between Moulsecoomb Way and Coldean.
God knows what the other end of Lewes Road will look like when they're done.
Sean Jenkins
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3:58pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Surely not! wrote:There was rarely a problem at Coldean. Just now you will have 3 lanes at the lights being bottle-necked into 1.
Sean Jenkins wrote:I rather think its designed to get buses past the queus at the traffic lights. Thats what I worked out anyway. I use the Lewes Road frequently and I think that it is long overdue for improvement. Certainly two lanes of traffic racing down to the snarl up that is the Vogue gyratory is ridiculous. of course the reason these things need doing is because the world is full of dumb people who know how to drive efficiently but don't wish to.;)
We all know how to drive more efficiently, we just don't wish to.
Also could someone please explain to me the point of the silly stretch of bus lane they have just completed between Moulsecoomb Way and Coldean.
God knows what the other end of Lewes Road will look like when they're done.
The real problem with the Vogue Gyratory is the terrible phasing of the lights causing traffic to back up over the exit out of the quadrant.
george smith
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4:53pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Surely not! wrote:we ended up with the the insane gyratory because sainsburys paid for it. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Sean Jenkins wrote: We all know how to drive more efficiently, we just don't wish to. Also could someone please explain to me the point of the silly stretch of bus lane they have just completed between Moulsecoomb Way and Coldean. God knows what the other end of Lewes Road will look like when they're done.I rather think its designed to get buses past the queus at the traffic lights. Thats what I worked out anyway. I use the Lewes Road frequently and I think that it is long overdue for improvement. Certainly two lanes of traffic racing down to the snarl up that is the Vogue gyratory is ridiculous. of course the reason these things need doing is because the world is full of dumb people who know how to drive efficiently but don't wish to.;)
Maxwell's Ghost
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5:11pm Fri 8 Feb 13
A so-called eco scheme giving tax payers money to drivers to help them reduce fumes caused by the new queues generated by an eco scheme. And one of the people who has benefitted is a woman who says she makes lots of short journeys which are the ones the Greens want to stop. The Lewes Road is at least used by people on long journeys commuting. It's bloody hilarious. Where is that bonkers Hjarrs with her bag of excuses for this one.
Absolutely one for Mr Pickles. No wonder he told Cllr Kitkat to get lost when he went begging for money.
As for the stretch of bus lane at Moulsecoomb which has suddenly appeared, no-one knows if it's operational or not, so this morning cars were on the inside lane and suddenly came upon the lane and were then swerving into the outside lane.
It was bloody dangerous and there is no signage up so there's utter confusion.
Anyway, it's no wonder the council now has to spend money on eco driving because the bloody cars are queued along Coombe Road from top to bottom most of the day due to the change in the phasing of the traffic lights at the bottom and even when they go green cars travelling north and south are just going through red lights on the Lewes Road as they are trying to beat the congestion. Unless cameras go in immediately there will be an accident here.
This changing of phasing in Coombe Road which seems to be to keep the Lewes Road running has caused vehicles to speed down nearby, 20mph streets, to beat the queue to the bottom of Coombe Road.
It's shocking yet hilarious. This council is useless.
leobrighton
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6:12pm Fri 8 Feb 13
thevoiceoftruth
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6:14pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Money doesn't grow on trees, unless you are a Green. Then you just fritter it away on nonsense like this.
loonileft
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7:49pm Fri 8 Feb 13
On_the_Level
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8:30pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Anna Phylactic
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5:23am Sat 9 Feb 13
Morpheus
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9:31am Sat 9 Feb 13
loonileft wrote:Me too, but don't worry we will probably have outdoor sex courses at Duke's Mound soon.
well i'm gay and even i think this is ridiculous
Kate234
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1:59pm Sat 9 Feb 13
Fresh air wrote:Are you having a laugh? Where do you think tax comes from? People that work and pay it. People seem to just assume that wasting government money is acceptable as people like the Greens know better how to spend our money than we do. Many people in Brighton are not wealthy and £4m here or there comes from all of us that pay tax.
What a good idea - get £4m from national government to help local drivers save money and reduce air pollution for everyone in Brighton - without costing council taxpayers a penny
Bob_The_Ferret
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2:40pm Sat 9 Feb 13
Tallywhacker
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12:05pm Sun 10 Feb 13
Sean Jenkins says...
2:43pm Fri 8 Feb 13
Also could someone please explain to me the point of the silly stretch of bus lane they have just completed between Moulsecoomb Way and Coldean.
God knows what the other end of Lewes Road will look like when they're done.