LAST week we were celebrating VE Day to commemorate how our predecessors had fought and won our freedom from tyranny.

Now that we are locked down for the coronavirus the Government is taking advantage of the situation to take it away.

When Grant Shapps announced that two billion pounds was to be spent on the roads, I thought that at last the motorist will get something back for the vast amount of money they pay in fuel and road tax.

Instead of that, it turns out that it is to be spent on yet more on the war against the motorists. Pavements are to be widened and more cycle lanes added to reduce road width and town centres will be pedestrianised. This will of course cause more congestion, which no doubt they will use to raise congestion tax. 

The idea seems to be to make driving unpleasant and stressful and so discourage it. They are taking road space from those who have paid for it and giving it to the cyclists who have not. To add insult to injury they are subsidising  instead of taxing them.

An expansion of electric scooters has been suggested at the same time. These are capable of breaking urban speed limits, but have no effective braking, crash protection, or licensing requirements.

This shows the Government is not interested in road safety. We already knew that of course, because of their introduction of “smart motorways”. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would realise that these cause accidents, often fatal. One cynically wonders if they want to kill motorists to get rid of them. Of course, they can also fine survivors for dangerous driving.

The West Midlands Combined Authority is even suggesting they eventually want to end car ownership altogether.

Not everyone wants to travel by inconvenient and unpleasant public transport.

Most people consider their cars their most prized possession next to their houses. They do not want to lose their freedom to travel where and when they want to. We are getting fed up by the bullying of politicians lacking in common sense. It is not democracy at work, it is exactly the opposite.

Christopher Gould

Georgia Avenue

Worthing