The smart motorway same as old motorway
SEVERAL weeks after the opening of the M60 smart motorway, it’s nice to see that nothing much has changed.
Well, outside of some nice signs above the gantry telling you you’re only allowed to go 40mph when in fact you’re still stuck in congestion going no more than 10mph in stopstart traffic for several junctions as has been the case during four years of a seemingly pointless upgrade.
The pinch-point from the M61 to join the M60 remains a scary place filled with cars either cutting in on miniscule spaces or cars drifting over several lanes to get into the correct one as you roll slowly towards the new smart motorway.
The one thing, arguably the only thing, the M60 clockwise and anticlockwise between Junctions 7 to 15 has needed for a long time is an extra lane – something we were promised the hard shoulder would be used as at the time of work starting – only for it to be revealed recently that owing to ‘air quality issues’ Highways England were unable to convert the hard shoulder for use as an additional lane.
I fail to see the logic behind the decision as surely flowing traffic in more lanes equals less emissions, so presumably opening up the hard shoulder as an emergency lane would help offset these air quality issues? Is it a safe assumption to make that the rise in these ‘air quality issues’ are due in part to the blanket 50mph limit imposed for the past four years and resulting congestion it has caused on the motorway?
Something stinks here and it’s not just the air in Greater Manchester.
The country is £208m lighter in the wallet and what have we got to show for it? I’m still stuck in stopstart congestion between particular junctions on my morning and evening commute, exactly like I would have been anyway.
A 60 mile per day commuter from Horwich to Hazel Grove
Glad to leave your city
THIS newspaper constantly blows the trumpet of Manchester which I find admirable, but as a former resident who recently visited and a regular reader of the M.E.N., I often wonder if we are talking about the same city!
I found a dirty, horrendously litter-strewn city full of homelessness and drug-takers. I read about the constant street attacks, the mobikes being wrecked, the airport debacle (I have to say that it’s a very unwelcoming place as a visitor), the horrendous traffic problems, etc, and I found the lack of green space and the state of Piccadilly Gardens to be shameful and depressing.
My friend visiting with me for the first time couldn’t wait to leave!
Maybe I’ve just been spoilt living in a beautiful place now and look back with fondness at how Manchester used to be, but boy was I glad to leave!
‘Glad to get out’, San Diego, California
Lessons not being learned
AS a health campaigner I have lost count of all the chairpersons, chief executives and managers, etc, at the Department of Health, Care Quality Commission, NHS Improvements [was Monitor], NHS Resolutions [was NHS LA] NHS England to name a few, I have been fobbed off by.
Lack of continuity has also added to the problem at the above mentioned organisations especially in the last three years.
All this to get told ‘lessons have been learnt’ and ‘we are investing more’ when everyone knows mismanagement, under investment in frontline staff for over a decade has caused a financial and clinical crisis.
£20 billion promised in the next few years will not improve the situation but will just keep the soiree going if the Department of Health and fellow regulators don’t take their heads out of the sand and earn their extortionate pay packets.
Paul Broadhurst, Dukinfield, Cheshire
Ban faceless web trolls
THE government should tell social media companies to ban anonymous posts or face a complete ban.
These ‘trolls’ are evil. There is no legitimate reason why anyone should make a post anonymously. It is like legitimising ‘Poison Pen Letters.’
This would stop all the underground bullying of our children, help in stalking cases and make it safer for everyone to use.
John Walsh, Oldham
New idea on car use
THE traffic situation in Manchester is reaching uncontrollable proportions, the council does not have enormous finances to spend on the roads and traffic is increasing as time passes by.
People complain about bus lanes, but without them buses would not adhere to timetables, they would still stop to allow passengers to board and alight, causing more confusion.
Sincerely, there is not a solution, limiting use of vehicles would help if you would abide with being told when you could use your vehicle.
Fred Born, New Moston