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BIRD'S EYE VIEW

12th April 1986, Page 50
12th April 1986
Page 50
Page 51
Page 50, 12th April 1986 — BIRD'S EYE VIEW
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

BY THE HAWK

• Imperial measures for roads will be banned in Wales on road safety grounds, if Plaid Cymru has its way.

In response to the Welsh Office's consultation paper Roads for Wales, the 1990s and Beyond, the Welsh nationalists call for a speed limit of 90Iun/h (56mph) even on motorways. Metric limits would eliminate confusion for foreigners.

Plaid would, however, allow two concessions. Lorries would be allowed to use motorway third lanes and overtaking would be allowed on the nearside.

Cith ap Henri, the party's transport spokesman, said: "The result will be greater uniformity of traffic speed, less fuel consumption and less noise."

Welsh would be introduced on all road signs and A, B and M road designations renamed in Welsh. The suggestions are '1' for Trafford (motorway), C for Cenedlaethol (national) and P for prif-fford (the other main A-roads).

Plaid complains that Conservative and Labour governments have built eastwest roads and the Welsh Office has acted "as an essentially colonialist body in building roads for the exploitation of Wales as an internal colony of England". A new Merthyr Wrexham road via Newtown would improve "national unity".

Whatever one's views on devolution, surely Plaid must agree that these islands need common speed limits, and if the English, Scots and Irish are to become foreigners in Wales (I am not revealing whether The Hawk has any Welsh blood, but virtually everyone would find they have if they go back far enough), then they shouldn't be confused either. Did I hear someone say "Tourists should learn Welsh"? • This comes to you direct from the Department of Useless Information.

The AA has issued some fascinating facts and figures to accompany the publication of its 1986/87 handbook. For instance, did you know: DIt's taking more than eight 40-tonne lorries to distribute the handbook. (How is it that the AA is allowed to use 40tanners? Ed.) U This year's print run would stretch 1,000km if laid end-to-end, or would be five times the height of Everest if stacked on top of each other.

Since the handbook was first published in 1908, 92 million copies have been printed, which, if laid end-toend would stretch more than 19,000km — halfway round the world.

El Printing and binding the new edition required 22

tonnes of ink and 30 tonnes of adhesive.

Fortunately, the handbook itself has rather more useful information, such as 2,000 garages and 3,700 AA-listed places to stay.

Here is another fact, not from the AA but from us here in the Department of Useless Information.

E] If you laid all the AA employees end-to-end, one of them would be working out how tall they would be if they were all stacked on top of each other.

• TIP Trailer Rental organised a five-a-side soccer tournament at Eurosports Village, Shotley, Ipswich, and attracted 11 teams. Merzario beat Taylor Barnard to win the TIP Trophy, and TIP's own Felixstowe team beat Sealink in the TIP Plate. "The tournament helped create an even more friendly atmosphere and relationship between customers and staff," said TIP area manager Chris Grove.


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