CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Today's latest Miles Briggs idiocy

(91 posts)
  • Started 6 years ago by Murun Buchstansangur
  • Latest reply from Murun Buchstansangur

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  1. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    First of a long-running thread, I fancy.

    "(H)e suggested Lothian NHS board might find a philanthropist willing to step in and help fund a new car park."

    "Ellen Glass, of the campaign group Action to Save St John’s, said: “They never really built enough car parking and it has caused a big problem for staff. “Some people use the hospital car park as a park-and-ride – they leave their car there and jump on a bus into Edinburgh."

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/health/multi-storey-is-answer-to-livingston-hospital-parking-1-4651677

    Posted 6 years ago #
  2. Stickman
    Member

  3. unhurt
    Member

    So the idea is... build a bigger car park and it totally won't fill up with even more people doing that?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  4. hunnymonster
    Member

    They could just enforce the parking restrictions - they manage at Borders General Hospital - free parking in all car parks - some of which have a 4h restriction and a Blakey roaming the car park, who loves nothing more than ticketing illegally parked or overstaying vehicles.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  5. All hospital parking should be free, but restricted to patients and shift staff.

    A system like the one they deployed at Fountain Park should work.

    A free ticket on entrance but with punitive charges to exit - unless it is validated at reception because you are a legitimate user.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  6. Klaxon
    Member

    There are ways you can maintain accessibility without the current free for all

    Cheap parking - maybe £1/h - for up to 4h. Then start increasing the price. Give the administrators in A&E/day surgery the ability to apply a low daily cap for patients who are in acute care or likely going to be discharged same-day (as there is always a lot of hanging around/faff).

    Free parking for hospital staff whose shifts start or end outwith public transport hours. For those who need daytime parking, offer value season ticket (priced to match local bus monthly ticket)

    No nonsense bus fare refunds (return) for patients

    Posted 6 years ago #
  7. ih
    Member

    I recommend reading the Guardian link (2nd post) which is one of the best opinions I've read on the 'parking' issue, and in particular why free parking at hospitals is not the good idea it would seem at first blush.

    Even Andrew Gilligan (London ex-cycling czar) admits there are difficulties. From the Guardian link he is quoted as describing parking as a 3rd rail - touch it and you're dead.

    In addition to @Klaxon's suggestions, how much would it cost to lay on special mini-buses for shift workers at hospitals? And for anyone who didn't live in an area that said mini-buses called at, they could stop by the nearest park and ride.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    "how much would it cost to lay on special mini-buses for shift workers at hospitals?"

    This isn't about common sense and practicalities.

    It's about the RIGHT to DRIVE to work - and PARK (preferably for FREE).

    Posted 6 years ago #
  9. wingpig
    Member

    "...special mini-buses for shift workers at hospital..."

    How did Finland's trial bookable adaptive-routing bus thing work out?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  10. ih
    Member

    @wingpig I've tried Googling it but nothing. So, what is Finland's trial bookable adaptive-routing bus thing, and how is it working out?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. Morningsider
    Member

    ih - Kutsuplus, it began in 2012 and ran until 2016 - ending primarily due to the costs to the Helsinki Transport Authority. Report on the scheme available at:

    https://www.hsl.fi/en/news/2016/final-report-kutsuplus-trial-work-develop-ride-pooling-worth-continuing-8568

    Posted 6 years ago #
  12. Stickman
    Member

    Carnegie funded libraries and educational trusts. Today's philanthropists are being asked to fund car parks.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  13. gembo
    Member

    @stickkman Carmageddon

    Posted 6 years ago #
  14. Ed1
    Member

    I think the car park should be free when going to I and E as this is competing with ambulances and taxis (which cost and may pollute more for one journey) but more than that if going to I and E then may be in hurry. Although some people arriving in an ambulance may be at deaths door, some are not, when I broke my arm had to make own way to hospital yet some may turn up in a taxi, some an ambulance. There may be people who turn up in ambulance with little wrong or someone may turn up in taxi half dead. Charging also creates adverse incentives in respect to bad driving as people may leave hospital under influence of medication rather than wait to avoid more high charging fees. Would tend to think at least for emergencies should be free. From the perspective of workers, why is it Scottish government works can access free parking in princer street (the archives) Quay and Saughton or indeed the parliament many doing cushy jobs on full flexi yet NHS workers doing a vital job at strange hours in poorly accessible locations are expected to pay when working shifts. The Scottish government could charge parking at all its offices and the use the money to pay for NHS shift workers. The police get free on street parking at Fetes the council make exceptions as to where put regs, yet in NHS car parks workers expected to pay so can imagine the NHS workers may appear marginalized. The NHS uses a lot of non-unionised care assistant workers, many of the staff doing roles nurses may have done may be on low wages

    Posted 6 years ago #
  15. chdot
    Admin

    This one is NOT idiotic, hope he sticks with it!

    "

    Lothians Tory MSP Miles Briggs called for a summit to bring residents, local businesses and community groups together to discuss the possibilities.

    "

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/business/boardwalk-vision-revived-for-edinburgh-waterfront-1-4655848

    Cramond to Porty boardwalk/promenade thread.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  16. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/health/lothian-nhs-staff-worst-hit-over-parking-permit-queue-1-4690647

    Miles Briggs said ministers should conduct a national review of NHS parking and transport. He said: “MSPs across the country are always being contacted about just how hard it is to get parked at hospitals. If we have thousands of staff awaiting a permit, you can imagine how difficult it is for patients and visitors. Health workers are under enough strain without having to spend ages before their shift looking for a parking space.
“Many new hospital sites are built out-of-town where space isn’t an issue – it simply should not have got to this stage.”
“Increasingly I hear from medical professionals who tell me on too many occasions they are driving around looking for parking spaces when patients are waiting to see them in clinics.”

    Miles also said this last year;

    Mr Briggs said: “Lothian commuters and businesses, who face daily delays on the City Bypass at peak times, will be frustrated and indeed angry that the Transport Minister appears to be suggesting that the rationale to reduce congestion on this key road hasn’t been established. Is he really suggesting that there is a case for not reducing congestion on the City Bypass?”

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/minister-backtracking-on-city-bypass-congestion-fix-1-4621337

    Posted 6 years ago #
  17. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Stickman

    These two arguments are simply reconcilable by mounting them, and the motorways they imply, on stilts.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  18. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Actually, being a Tory MSP must be one of the best jobs in the world. You get paid to say whatever you like without ever having to confront reality in government. The vast majority of the press will lovingly transmit and amplify pretty much every every one of your hoots and bellows.

    I wish I'd realised this earlier.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  19. Colonies_Chris
    Member

    Those staff who have to drive because they work unsociable hours probably don't have a problem getting parked; I bet the car parks are only full 8am-6pm-ish. So instead of free parking spaces, how about giving all NHS hospital staff a bus pass? Not everyone would use it, but even a small reduction in the number of cars at peak times would open up spaces for visitors (and hardcore drivers).

    Posted 6 years ago #
  20. Morningsider
    Member

    So Miles, clearly there is a market failure here and the obvious solution in to increase parking charges at hospitals and to make driving on the bypass more expensive at peak times. You only need to find the level of charges that produce no queues or congestion. That is what you arguing for, isn't it?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  21. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Posted 6 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    That image is making my eyes smart. If add sound it will also make my brain hurt

    Posted 6 years ago #
  23. Stickman
    Member

    Educated at Auchtergaven Primary School and Perth Grammar School, Miles then attended Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen where he studied Management & Politics. Following graduation Miles worked for The Executive Council of the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. He then spent 10 years working as a Political Adviser to MSPs Dr Nanette Milne and Liz Smith. Outside of politics Miles is a keen hill walker, having completed 83 Munros to dates, and is also interested in rugby, countryside issues, photography, Scottish history & music.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  24. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "But I think with compromise there is the opportunity to do that. I think both governments are looking towards where these powers are going to have a common sense approach is something we should all be working towards."

    As an old boss of mine at a company that just died used to say: Anybody talks about common sense is a f****** idiot. There's no such thing, only maths.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  25. Stickman
    Member

    As a reminder, Miles' big concerns seem to be public health (including obesity), car parking and congestion.

    What better way to demonstrate his concern than cutting the ribbon at the reopening of a McDonalds drive-through on the most polluted and congested road in Edinburgh.

    Beyond parody.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/shadow-health-secretary-miles-briggs-slammed-over-mcdonald-s-appeareance-1-4708794

    Posted 6 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Stickman

    Are you suggesting that 'Miles Briggs' is the world's most advanced art school prank?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  27. Stickman
    Member

    Something that rhymes with that possibly.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  28. jdanielp
    Member

    @IWRATS prank?! He's surely a Turner Prize contender?

    Posted 6 years ago #
  29. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/miles-briggs-hospital-car-park-misery-must-end-1-4724863


    Of course, if you take a risk and park outwith one of the official car parks, a traffic warden will be on your case almost immediately, regardless of the desperation of your situation, like you were parking in a Princes Street bus lane.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    To add insult to this disgraceful situation, the greed of the contractors who built the ERI means...

    Can't quite....I....what? Greed? Feel dizzy.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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