England is Becoming an Increasingly Hostile Car Nation

A Call to Action for Motorists

Ever felt like you're stuck with a lifelong acquaintance who has everything going for them but constantly sabotages their success? Well, that's how I feel about England right now, a nation turning increasingly hostile towards car owners.

As a dedicated motorist, I find myself pushed out of the capital city I grew up in. According to many politicians in London, drivers like me appear to be on their ‘most-wanted’ list for their choice of transport.

The Downward Spiral of Motorist Relations

It's important to acknowledge that England, particularly Greater London, still offers a lot to appreciate. However, the last 15 years have seen a parade of governments—Con-Lib coalition, Conservative, and now Labour—turning their backs on drivers. Local councils, especially the stringent Labour leadership in London, seem to relish in making life harder for those who rely on cars.

Despite this unfriendly landscape, car culture is not entirely dead. This past month, the exhilarating Silverstone Formula One weekend, Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, and the London E-Prix demonstrated that our love for cars remains vibrant.

Struggles on the Roads and Rails

However, infuriating infrastructure problems plague our transport networks. Attempting to watch the F1, I faced hair-raising traffic, bringing my total travel time to nearly 24 hours over three days. Road closures compounded the frustrations for attendees at the Festival of Speed, while participants at the E-Prix endured exasperating 20mph speed limits enforced by aggressive speed cameras. The newly imposed tolls on tunnels further aggravated drivers.

In a bid to explore alternatives, I turned to public transport in July and was met with a slew of issues: train cancellations, delays, and unceremonious switch-ups to rail replacement buses. My attempts were met with stranded and overheated train rides during a blistering heatwave, where air conditioning failed.

The breaking point came when I tried to navigate Waterloo station only to be met with “do not travel” notifications due to 14 platforms being out of service. Power cut disruptions added to the frustration, both at home and in various locations across London.

Bureaucratic Nightmares and Travel Challenges

I even attempted to escape via LeShuttle from Folkestone, strategically choosing an off-peak Monday. Yet, I still found myself waiting in a queue for almost three hours just to show my passport to officials from both the UK and France. When did we, the citizens, give our consent for such hardships imposed by our elected officials?

The woes do not end here: as I documented England's degrading infrastructure and public transport failures, the UK’s air traffic control system faced a meltdown, leaving countless travelers stranded for days. Is this what it means to be British?

Conclusion

The combination of rigid policies against motorists, failing infrastructure, and troublesome bureaucratic processes is making daily life exceedingly challenging for car enthusiasts and average drivers alike. It's high time we advocate for better conditions for motorists in England, before we lose our driving culture entirely.