Redditch library, cyclists and fuel prices – This weeks Redditch …
THE TORIES exposed how arrogant they really are last week.
Despite a petition, a set of local elections and their own consultation going against them, Tory county councillors have joined their Redditch pals to force demolishing the library.
The case against this plan is overwhelming. It’s unnecessary, expensive, has zero benefit and leaves this town measurably worse off in terms of public amenities. There is also no evidence the Tories have looked at the effects of inflation on this project. Costs are likely to be sky-rocketing, unchecked.
To all Conservative supporters opposing this insane idea I say this. The party you have loyally supported will no longer listen to common sense. It is unaccountable and indifferent to the needs of Redditch.
They cannot, or will not listen to any voices but their own. It is impossible to reform them. If you want to save the library they must be replaced.
Coun Ian Woodall
Labour
Headless Cross and Oakenshaw
WITH regard to the current debate about the use – and misuse of e-scooters, I think that they are not suitable to be used as hire vehicles at all.
As has been pointed out there are rules and laws in place to govern the use of these, none of which is being enforced.
They are routinely ridden on the footpath, which is not only illegal, but also a danger to pedestrians, and when they are ridden on the road it is all too often without proper care but people who are inexperienced road users, and so are a danger to themselves.
They are readily available to anyone and are frequently being used by underage riders and sometimes by two on one scooter, which, although ill-advised and illegal, cannot under the present circumstances be easily controlled, and no attempt has been made to enforce the rules.
After use they are dropped anywhere, again without any thought or consideration, rendering them an obvious hazard to pedestrians, particularly the infirm or visually impaired. At lest if they were legalised for the use of privately owned ones, the riders would take them home.
Apart from the foregoing, the ‘statistics’ that Bird chose to suggest would be rather difficult to validate.
Is the suggestion that every one of the 120,000 rides replaces a car journey? This is obviously not the case, as most of the riders I see would not necessarily be car drivers.
Furthermore, of the journeys which may replace car use, it is the number of journeys or the total mileage which is used, and that type of car are they basing their ‘calculations’ on to claim a saving of 4.2metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.
They may choose to express incidents involving the scooters to five decimal places, but the potential for the accidents is every present and should not be ignored.
It would appear that the thinking behind these claims is ‘if we are plucking figures from the air, pluck ones that shut is best’.
C Law
A RECENT report has confirmed what many new for ages, the big supermarkets have been ripping the public off on fuel prices.
We should have a national boycott supermarket day once a month to show our anger.
They are making themselves wealthier whilst sticking two fingers up at the public, the Government should step in and come down hard on them.
If they have beenover charging 6p a litre more, for past 12 months then they should undercharge by 6p a liter for next 12 months to even things up.
Gary Dipper
FIRES from unregulated e-powered vehicle batteries are becoming commonplace and we are very concerned we are sitting on a ticking timebomb of cases. It is only a matter of time until we see a battery failure cause a devastating large-scale fire in a block of flats, hotel or public space.
Unfortunately, e-bike batteries are designed to be charged indoors, and mostly overnight. Critically, this is where the risk to life from a fire is the greatest.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We have been using certified lithium-ion batteries safely for years, the technology is well understood and these can be manufactured to the correct standards.
The problem lies in a series of failings in the supply of unregulated units, meaning products with poor construction can be supplied by internationally based sellers on third party platforms. Action needs to be taken to address this situation to prevent future deaths.
We urge people to only buy from reputable sellers and to purchase electrical items from a known and trusted brand that complies with legislation.
If you think your battery is faulty, damaged or you just aren’t sure, then we advise that you dispose of it at a waste centre, not in the bin.
Nathan Davies
Head of policy and portfolio at Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
I WAS recently a visitor to your local countryside and was appalled at the amount of cyclists on the country lanes like am invasion they babe taken over.
The road tax paying motorists has great difficulty getting past these groups of free loading cyclists who think the road is theirs, they own it, they must have priority.
They film us without our permission. A disgrace.
The methane emissions from these gangs of free loaders must be hazardous to the environment.
Unlike a herd of cattle who are beneficial to us humans.
Ann Williams
Yorkshire Farmer
ME AND my husband are very much for the ticket offices staying open.
The staff at both Redditch and Bromsgrove are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and give advice.
We use the trains a lot to either visit relatives or go on holidays.
The ticket machines maybe okay for some passengers but what they don’t take into account is as people get older they can’t see the key system for where they want to go, due to poor sight. Also a lot of people can’t use technology – it can be scary, so they won’t travel.
If you’re in a hurry the machines can be an ordeal.
There’s the choice of booking tickets online, again okay if family or friends can do this for you but technology again. If you have to do it yourself, it isn’t always an option.
We don’t want the Ticket offices closed anywhere.
JB
Redditch
I AM against railway ticket offices being closed because if you have any queries, the attendants can answer your queries straight away.
Not everyone knows how to use machines.
If you need the toilets, will they be open? You normally have to get a key from the attendant.
If you are disabled the attendants can help you.
L M Franklin
I WRITE after reading your article last week about the proposed ticket office closures at Redditch and Bromsgrove stations.
I assume someone at the Bromsgrove and Redditch Rail User Group (BARRUP) has a sense of humour.
The group is concerned about the element of discrimination against those, such as the elderly and vulnerable who may not have smartphones and computers.
The group then goes on to encourage users to comment via email! Really?
Doesn’t that include an element of discrimination against those such as the elderly and vulnerable who may not have smartphones or computers?
Richard Ball
AN OPEN letter to MP Rachel Maclean.
I am writing to you in light of the announcement that rail companies are planning to close almost all of the 1,000 ticket offices around the country.
I feel passionately about this issue – it will have a huge impact on me and will have a significant negative impact on my independence and wellbeing.
Redditch ticket office is at risk of closure even though the plans, published this week, for our new station have a fantastically accessible ticket office in them.
Closing ticket offices would make the railway less safe, secure and accessible and would worsen the passenger experience.
I firmly believe the closure of ticket offices would be detrimental to your constituents and our local community. The impacts will be particularly severe for disabled and elderly passengers and those requiring additional support.
As someone who is disabled with a combination of hidden and visible impairments and as a non-driver I could not travel by rail without the assistance of staff. I need to be able to find them especially when there is a short notice change to my booking – I have cognitive disabilities caused by brain injury and my ability to cope with unexpected situations is severely impacted.
There have been six occasions in the last month alone (New Street, Preston, Bournemouth, Reading and Euston) where I needed assistance quickly – not just in finding my train but getting authorisation to travel from a booking clerk. This would not have been possible if I hadn’t known exactly where to go – the booking office.
The proposal to close ticket offices is discriminatory. It discriminates against all those people with disabilities who need to have contact with an actual person to complete their transaction. The blind. The d/Deaf. Those with dyslexia. Colour blindness. Musculoskeletal problems.
118million rail journeys in the year 2021/22 were made through ticket offices. This is significant.
Furthermore closing ticket offices and the consequent redundancies is discriminating against disabled staff who cannot be redeployed to platform or roving duties.
Finally, I know statutory redundancy notices were served on the day the ‘consultation’ was announced. This can’t be right!
I would also ask you to respond to the public consultation before it closes on July 26, stating your opposition to the plans to close Redditch (and Bromsgrove) ticket offices.
Nigel Braithwaite
Headless Cross