CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Was looking at the Council's web site to see if there was anything about the Cycle Hire Scheme (see other thread).
Came across this
in
"Council Sustainable Travel Plan Update"
Quite staggering figures for fleet + private car use (both down), a drop in bus use
AND bike use (10%) - claimed-for work mileage (not cycling to/from work).
Report concludes - "a further report will be submitted as to the reasons for decreases in bus and cycle usage."
Seems simple to me. There were 3 months last winter when the weather was so bad that even regular cyclists didn't - that's a quarter of the year gone. I know some intrepid souls carried on, but lots of us didn't. Then take into account that the council has closed a lot of its outlying workplaces and centralised corporate staff to Chesser House, City Chambers/High Street and Waverley Court, so people are less likely to need to travel to another workplace for a meeting - they're already there.
I wonder how many fleet vehicles the Council has?
Obviously they will be mostly vans/lorries + the Provost's car.
The Council has two (2) pool bikes.
What is the point of having only two pool bikes if they really want to promote cycling between the council buildings? I'd have expected it to be in at least double figures, if not upper double figures.
hi there all. new poster. saw this post on twitter and felt compelled to hunt you all out... register and respond to this thread. as a CEC employee i would like to add my tuppence worth to this. in my opinion the cycle mileage is down to one reason only.
over the past 18 months or so or perhaps a bit less most CEC employees submit their expenses electronically through a system called my HR. this works fine for subsistence/car mileage etc. However if you want to submit your cycle mileage it still means hunting down a yellow form or downloading a cycle mileage form, completing it and then manually posting it to someone in payroll. this also entails knowing who to send it to etc. in short it IS A PAIN IN THE ARSE. most people are too busy to deal with the hassle of this as opposed to myHR so they dont bother submitting cycle mileage expenses.
There is no good reason why cycle mileage could not be incorporated onto myHR. i keep meaning to try and chase it up or get an explanation... maybe after this rant i will. orchard.
Welcome orchardcounty.
Interesting explanation.
I wonder what the 'official enquiry' will make of it...
Look forward to your future posts.
orchardcounty - I am going with the snow. I have a large stock of the forms and fill them in each pay day then submit them [admittedly our admin staff know the procedure]. I quite like my paper form when all the car users have to log on to myHR. Tho as you say, no idea why they forgot about cyclists when having the software designed. I was looking at council policy the other day and the guideline is max 20 miles a day and only within edinburgh (except if line manager allows a little cross border leeway). I only cycle so I further admit that it would be a pain to submit car claim electronically and separate bike claim on paper so on reflection you may have a point.
I alternate between bike and bus - usually bike, occasionally bus, and I don't find it difficult to do paper claims for bike mileage and electronic claims for bus fare. It would be easier if it was all electronic, but it's not exactly a hardship filling in paper.
"It would be easier if it was all electronic"
I believe there are some elements in the Council trying to get that done, and no doubt others who don't think it's desirable/necessary.
It would be worth anyone affected by this to 'mention' it next time they claim.
I can't agree more (with AppleUnitaryAuthority) about doing hefty paperwork for measly reward; it sucks! Many people do much out of the goodness of their heart, and when bureaucracy begins to make the day ever longer, those folks are usually the first to 'chuck in the towel'! Electronic claiming might be the answer if the 'form' is simple at the front end? Edinburgh still has lots to do to be a truly cycle and pedestrian friendly city - and it could start by dropping the speed limits in city centre to 20mph, and re-directing parking and fines revenue to specifically improving and de-cluttering the streetscape! 'nuff said.
The trick is not to leave your mileage till the end of the month. Have the paper form on your desk somewhere, and every time you come back from going out, fill it in, while you're waiting for the kettle to boil and the computer to restart.
The ENews has picked up on this. Probably running a story tomorrow.
I mentioned the weather theory and added -
"The fact that the council failed to keep the cycle path networks clear wouldn't have helped."
picked on us complaining about MyHR (the electronic system) or picked on the mileage down?
"picked on us complaining"
Ah yes, meant picked up...
Now altered!
Does the EEN monitor this site?
Will we have to put up with the slavering idiots from their comments section?
"Will we have to put up with the slavering idiots from their comments section?"
Only if more some of them register...
Apparently the "city is under siege" from cyclists. That must be why they've erected all those defensive walls of slow moving cars, busses and lorries on all the main roads in and out of town
"Apparently the "city is under siege" from cyclists."
NO NO
You are confusing cyclists with Festival goers.
I wish it was true.
(Is that a quote from someone on the ENews message board?)
yes. Yes it is;
Afredo Garcia,
27/08/2010 12:22:10
Please no more cyclists... the city is under seige from this frequently selfish brigade. Why cannot the Council workforce be issued with bus passes?
"...the city is under seige from this frequently selfish brigade...", what? private car users?
;-)
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