French Car Forum

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 13 Dec 2005, 12:22

So apparently the new widened section of the M25 has now been declared open today, but with past experience of what the M25 is like, it won't take too long before all the 12 lanes get filled up.

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 13 Dec 2005, 13:51

It was the same when the m60 was completed, as soon as it was opened it was jammed the next day. Not quite 12 lanes but a similar example.
Had a christmas meal (with a few scoops) the other day with work which meant me travelling to Manchester by train, the journey is 25 miles and cost £7.10 return or £6.20 one way. No wonder so many people use their cars at those prices. Having said that it was a stress free journey and in the car can get fairly stressful when some chump nearly takes the front of your car off.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 13 Dec 2005, 17:26

Hi Active8. What part have they made wider? and how many lanes does it have now?

I find the M60 is brilliant

Fortunately I dont have to go out during the rush hour though. In fact we are very spoilt in this area really, I can get 60 miles away in almost any direction within an hour, without breaking any speed limits, not many places in the UK can claim that!!

For a central county, I think Dorset is worst! I don't think they have a mile of Mway in the whole county!!

allmond · Post by **allmond** » 13 Dec 2005, 18:04

Dorset!!! Proudly motorway free!

CENTRAL county? Well, central along the coast!

By the way, how's the fight with the camera Gestapo going?

Jamie (Traffic cop in Dorset)

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 13 Dec 2005, 20:08

In fact, Dorset barely has any dual carriadgeway, (about 60 miles I think) and even some of that is fairly useless.. the bit that goes from just ourside dorchester, half-way to poole is most odd! The only other main bits are into Bournemouth, and part of the A303 (which is a through-route and doesn't really count!)

When looking at rail fairs you have to remember the actual cost of running a car is at least 30p/mile for most cars, and more for others. a 50-mile round trip for £7 is actually not that bad when the car would have cost £15, not including any parking charges.

Granted the car could have taken 4/5 people for that cost though, and the train ticket is for one person.

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 13 Dec 2005, 22:57

fastandfurryous wrote:
When looking at rail fairs you have to remember the actual cost of running a car is at least 30p/mile for most cars, and more for others. a 50-mile round trip for £7 is actually not that bad when the car would have cost £15, not including any parking charges.

Granted the car could have taken 4/5 people for that cost though, and the train ticket is for one person.

I prefer to look at it in a sort of " The goverment (whichever gorvernment it may be at the time)are shafting us" sort of way, by just taking into account the cost of the fuel

! This enables me to moan about their shortcomings whilst conveniently brushing mine under the carpet

- bloody hell that sounds just like what politicians do!!

Luckily where I park I dont have to pay (but there is the added risk of getting back to a car with its window smashed in or of getting mugged on way back to the motor!).

If I remember correctly in all the old eastern block countries public transport was all free and you just hopped on. That's sounds bob on to me.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 14 Dec 2005, 02:11

Hi Jamie. Not sure I should be talking to you really.

lol.. Seriously though, my bro-in-law was a Commander in the MET for many years, and he's a realy great bloke, so I don't have any anti Police feelings at all, as I know many policmen hate speed cameras as much as the public do..

I was born near Poole, but now take all my holidays in the Lyme Regis area. It's the same distance from here (both 240 ish miles), but wheras Poole takes nearly five hours, often longer, due to no decent roads and loads of cameras on what decent bits they do have, I regularly make Lyme Regis in four hours. Excluding the 30 mins per trip taken for a coffee stop at Michael Wood services that is.. I dont buy their coffee, just take a flask of my own

I also have a friend in Paignton, 270 miles, and can make that in about the same time as Lyme i.e. 4 hour 10 mins ish, as I can stay on the M5 longer.

Re the speeding saga

.. I will update the thread as soon as I get the summons,

but as time is on my side I don't intend to jog their memories if I can avoid it..

Hi F&F. Re Dorchester to Bere Regis - Upton.. I hate that bit of road too!

My main gripe is that Dorset is a beautifull county, so why do they put 8 foot high hedges along most country roads now?

It used to be a very pretty drive, sadly, that's no longer true..

ACTIVE8 · Post by **ACTIVE8** » 14 Dec 2005, 13:52

James.UK wrote:Hi Active8. What part have they made wider? and how many lanes does it have now?

I find the M60 is brilliant Fortunately I dont have to go out during the rush hour though. In fact we are very spoilt in this area really, I can get 60 miles away in almost any direction within an hour, without breaking any speed limits, not many places in the UK can claim that!!

For a central county, I think Dorset is worst! I don't think they have a mile of Mway in the whole county!!

Hello James.UK. Information about the work that they have done on the M25 can be found on the links below.

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/futures/upgrade/m25.shtml

Although the actual cost isn't mentioned in the above link, it is in the one below.

http://www.balfourbeatty.com/bbeatty/me ... 003-05-06/

That's a lot of money !

When Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow, then we will have even more traffic.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 14 Dec 2005, 16:51

allmond wrote:Dorset!!! Proudly motorway free!

Northumberland is motorway free too.

The main road linking London with Edinburgh (A1) goes through Northumberland and becomes a single carriageway, there isn't even dual carriageway between the capitals.

James.UK · Post by **James.UK** » 15 Dec 2005, 18:20

Hi Kowalski.

>>Northumberland is motorway free too. The main road linking London with Edinburgh (A1) goes through Northumberland and becomes a single carriageway, there isn't even dual carriageway between the capitals.<<

It's probably quicker to go - London to Edinburgh Via Glasgow!

Crazy huh..

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 16 Dec 2005, 13:57

James.UK wrote:It's probably quicker to go - London to Edinburgh Via Glasgow! Crazy huh..

You can do London to Edinburgh via Glasgow, but you have to go up the M6 via Birmingham and Manchester or up the M1 then accross the M62 to Manchester then up the M6. In either case, its a lot longer or the traffic gets you. Personally my choice would be to go up the M1 to Leeds, then take the A1 to Newcastle, then take the little roads accross the border. There isn't a motorway quality route that isn't solidly congested from capital to capital.