After finally admitting they were wrong to try to withhold this information, the DfT have now published their analysis of the responses to their earlier consultation on the proposed phasing out of imperial-only height and width restriction traffic signs.
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Category: Road signs
Speed, momentum and resistance
Which is preferable: a swift metric transition or a leisurely one? UKMA would have preferred the former. Successive UK governments have opted for the latter, believing that it carries less risk to their popularity. Ronnie Cohen assesses progress.
FAQs about the transition to metric signs on UK roads
Readers have commented recently on the obstacles to the transition to metric-only signs on Britain’s roads. This has prompted Metric Views to offer answers to some Frequently Asked Questions on this subject.
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Why I became involved with measurement matters
One of our readers has written to explain why he became interested in the campaign to complete Britain’s prolonged metric changeover.
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DfT rejects industry view on metric signs
The Department for Transport (DfT) has given in to anti-metric lobbying and backtracked on its earlier proposal that imperial-only height and width restriction signs should be replaced with dual metric/imperial signs within four years. This climbdown is despite the responses to its own consultation, which revealed widespread support within the industry for the proposal. It also flies in the face of its own cost assessment. The article concludes with a challenging question. Continue reading “DfT rejects industry view on metric signs”
Heading for the exit?
Problems of sovereign debt in the eurozone have seen the UK side-tracked in EU decision making, and, say some commentators, headed for the exit. Is this situation likely to impact on the UK’s stalled metric changeover?
Review fails to address major traffic sign issues
A three-year review of traffic signs has failed to address major problems with the UK’s signs.
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Spotlight falls (again) on the high cost of construction in the UK
The magazine New Civil Engineer (NCE) reports this week on a recent conference in Barcelona which highlighted the wide difference between the cost of infrastructure in the UK and on the continent. So it seems that the inflated 2006 estimate for the metric conversion of the UK’s road traffic signs may be part of a deeper problem.
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Road safety experts ignore UK sign problems
A recent report into the safety implications of variations in road signs across Europe has ignored problems caused by the UK’s continued use of imperial units.
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Spain discredits DfT’s case against metric signs
The Spanish government this week exposed the Department for Transport’s case against adopting metric road signs in the UK as flawed. While the DfT maintains that it must allow an average of around £1400 to change our road signs, Spain this week changed all its motorway speed limit signs for an average cost of just €41, or £35.
The Spanish government this week exposed the Department for Transport’s case against adopting metric road signs in the UK as flawed. While the DfT maintains that it must allow an average of around £1400 per sign to change our road signs, Spain this week changed all its motorway speed limit signs for an average cost of just €41, or £35.
Continue reading “Spain discredits DfT’s case against metric signs”
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