2009-09-17 - Cyclist down, Poynders Road roundabout

but is it appropriate that these trucks are in our community ?

for example you may find that the truck movement was generated by the construction of an innapropriate development. say a basement car park for the rich. (and then it is the poor residents that have to suffer their anti social behaviour).

so from this kind of perspective i think that the truck driver, the truck manufacturer, the landowner of the construction site, the builder and the road owner that are all at fault.

the construction industry is displacing its dangers into our community.

Would it make a difference if an accident resulted because of construction of a basement car park for the poor (yes, they do exist)?

And how is basement parking anti-social. If anything, removing stationary cars from the external built environment is a more social thing. On non-through routes this opens up the streetscape for children to play (I fondly remember playing in the road with my friends) and for informal movement of residents around the area. On through routes this reduces congestion and allows more space for cyclists.

If the end result of the construction is an improvement to the area for society, can the presence of construciton traffic really be considered anti-social? Afterall, if smaller vehicles were bought in to transport materials and waste, the additional number of vehicles would have major traffic implications that would have a negative impact on the safety of other road users, including cyclists.

It's fair and appropriate that trucks enter our communities. What needs to be properly focussed on is expectations of behaviour and proper design for safety.