Traffic aims will simply hit the brick wall of population growth
Wednesday 7th October 2009, 3:00PM BST.
From André Ferrari.
AT last we are offered a transport strategy which recognises that cramming more and more cars onto our roads is not an effective policy.
Even more amazing is the aim of reducing peak traffic levels by 15 per cent. But this worthy attempt at sustainability surely hits a brick wall when it collides with the States policy on population levels.
In the past 50 years Jersey’s population has risen by some 29,000. That rise of some 46 per cent has obviously been a major contributor to the traffic problem.
Unfortunately, the States’ strategy shows no collective will to restrict population growth. No matter how the policy is dressed up, no matter what excuses are given, it simply amounts to more of the same: the inexorable rise of Jersey’s population.
And that perhaps is where the latest traffic strategy will fail. Surely every one per cent reduction in traffic will be cancelled out by every one per cent rise in population? Even a miraculous, overnight 15 per cent traffic reduction would see the benefits shrink year on year as the population subsequently went up. How long before we are back at square one – or worse?
And that same problem will hit any government strategy to reduce waste, to reduce water use, energy use, etc.
These days our ministers are keen to use the ‘sustainability’ word, but the fine words do not marry with the reality of core policies which seek to increase the population and the economy in ways little different from the past 50 years.
The proposed transport strategy illustrates this schizoid divide beautifully. How sad that it takes such a long-awaited and sensible strategy to highlight the elephant in the room.
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maybe this is the answer-50p for one journey £1 hop on off as many times as you like.
keeps the traffic down in town centres as well.
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Well said Andre, I’m not convinced Members of the States sit in the same building never mind actually talk to each other. More people, less cars? And of course they’ve jumped on the environmental buzz and tried to pretend it’s about that, they presumably think we’re stupid enough to buy it! How insulting.
Fill in their online survey, it’s quite laughable. They haven’t even been smart enough to predict and calm the fears of anyone who legitimately cannot use public transport.
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The limiting factor on population growth in Jersey is undoubtedly water.
Add another ten thousand or so people and a dry summer and the reservoirs will run dry.
Simple really!
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I wish we had the same as in Poole a 50p route that takes you all around the town, look at all the traffic problems it would solve and help the local shops as well, and we could buy more as it is if you have heavy bags to carry you have to bring your car in town, with a bus around town it would be a massive help to all
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The States Members just don’t care how much traffic in town None of them live there
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Pip #3, we already have some of the initial indicators of over-population, the States choose to ignore them.
Don’t worry though, if we are going to run short of water they will simply price water so that only the rich can afford it, the rest of us will die of thirst and the States will get their desired island!
I live in town, have done for a year, and I have yet to witness any real traffic.
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#3 Pip, I know of at least one other island in warmer climes that are using several reverse osmisis systems to get their water from the sea as the demand for water outstrips the rainfall.
As the cost of water increases it becomes a political issue and consequently, governments have to subsidise the cost. Another burden on the government who just in turn increase taxes from either direct or indirect means.
At the end of the day, the tax payer pays.
#6 Leah, “yet to see any real traffic”? The problems are actually getting into town in the first place.
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Reverse osmosis is just another method of desalination and relies on cheap energy and plenty of it.
The post war world that most of us have grown up in took this as a given.
I reckon that by 2050 energy will be expensive and scarce, China is already moving in a massive way to secure oil and coal supplies in Africa, Australia etc.
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As i keep stating regarding population growth! We are a small island with limited services, Jersey is 45/46 square miles and has thirty six schools. That is the highest in europe and America for the size of the land mass. Now population stratergy makes me laugh, before looking at the migration policy they should look at the birth rate and how much it will increase in the next ten years. The States have ruled out a census to find the real number, The reason for this is they dont want the Jersey to see the real figures for some reason. You dont have to be a rocket scientist to see what population ideas the states members have got, Tax Tax and more Tax, I know this because it is the same idea Gordon Brown has. That is the reason Germany and France are laughing there heads off at him, They realised years ago the idea of making tax from population was failing and costing more in the long run, also standards started dropping. The same will happen here if things dont slow down as we foot the bill as the tax payer.
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#9 James, I’m with you there!
I just cannot believe that they won’t do a census. How can anyone with half a brain plan for future population growth when they don’t even know what the starting point is?
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Well said Andre..this smokescreen nonsense of traffic one week,recycling the next, all political chaos making stuf to divert people from the fact that the politicians won’t and can’t control spending so go for what looks like the easy option of tax/spend and increase the population to bursting point..so all the good services we used to have are creaking,bad roads,drainage,no room at the hospital,wiating for ops,schooling costing over 90£million in wages to keep on hiring more administrators…it’s MADNESS..let’s call the baby by it’s name we are led by greedy madmen.
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james e (9) i agree with you, how can you say lets do this, when there is no idea of the current population, lets all put some rough figures on a large wall, put the blind fold on , and stab a mark any where you fancy, if you should hit any wild figure then there is the answer.
if you ask me then we have been planning far to much, without a census.
if water is to become a issue in the future why is it that all new builds do not have underground tanks ,to harvest rain water, to at least flush the toilet.
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Maybe its a case of not wanting to know the real population level for fear of causing uproar?
To keep the property bubble going over here you will need more and more people coming in to cause a shortage to keep prices high won’t you? Too many properties and not enough buyers would be a disaster for property developers wouldn’t it?
As per the traffic issue it is getting progressively worse each month. It has been since the late 1980′s. Why is this? I believe most of it is down to immigration. A census would prove whether this is so, so why not have one? Go back to my first line and start again…
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