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It's not been discussed here but last week the Spanish government put though a new "fuel saving" measure by reducing the speed limit on motorways and toll roads from 120 to 110kph.
This comes into effect on 7 March.
They say that it will help reduce fuel consumption by 15%....and that it has nothing to do with trying to generate more speeding fine revenue!
Even Fernando Alonso has come out saying that it's silly and will only cause more accidents as people are more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
Oh well, looks like it's time to back off even more on those lovely, quiet motorways....
Justin
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Schools in Spain Guide | The Expat Files | Learn Spanish | Earn a living in Spain
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They also said that it will cost 250,000€'s to put stickers over all the signs. They left out the fact that that is the cost of the stickers & it's more like 140€'s per sign. They said it was originally because of a possible shortage & now they are saying that there won't be as they have stockpiles & have alternative supply , so has it been crept in as a temporary measure that's likely to be permanent ? Now they are saying that there'll be a drop in fuel tax income of 530 million euros , so will the price be increased ?
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Todos somos Lorca.
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In addition to the reduction in the speed limit from 120 kph to 110 kph (I wonder if anyone thought that they only need to paste a "1" over the "2" on the signs?)...
The Spanish Government has announced that from 7th March, the maximum speed limit on motorways will be reduced from 120 kph to 110 kph. It is a measure designed to conserve fuel in response to the situation in North Africa and, particularly, in Libya. At the same time, the Government is subsidising RENFE to cover a 5% reduction in middle and long distance train fares to encourage people to switch from road to rail travel. This is a temporary measure and loads of "110" stickers are being printed to stick on 120 signs overnight on the night of 6/7 March.
As well as cutting motorway speed limits to 110 kilometres per hour, the Dirección General de Tráfico has confirmed it will reduce limits on single carriageway roads to 30 kilometres per hour in towns. Only a few connecting roads with no buildings on them will see higher speed limits – at 50 kilometres per hour.
This will mean that most drivers in manual cars will spend the majority of their lives in first or second gear around town!
There are supposedly 140,000 speed signs that will need to be altered.... can you really see that being done all in one night? And the chaos of having all these motorway signs and people scurrying from one side to the other? best ban all overnight traffic on every road except for highways and emergency vehicles!! Somehow I have visions of all these stickers peeling off in the first rain storm and people then claiming either the linit was restored or it is invalid if the higher speed is shown!!
Spain is starting to be as silly as the UK, where the Deputy PM "forgot" he was in charge; the Prime Minister was on an arms sales drive (in the Middle East!!); our Foreign and Commonwealth Office were so on the ball that they announced Gaddafi had fled; that it was "too dangerous" for our warship (on the way to be scrapped!) to dock in Libya (perhaps the poor sailors were frightened their iPods might be confiscated?) and that the rescue flight that had been chartered wasn't servicable!! By that time, practically every other Nationality had got it's citizens out!!
So, watch your speed now, 130 kph coming through France then s l o w d o w n to 110!!!
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Lowering speed limits in Spain, on their beautiful wide open motorways? The Dutch government is now raising the maximum speed limit on some major highways to 130kms/hour, despite their being much more crowded than Spanish highways. This was one of the election promises that got the Dutch VVD party elected and into government. Maybe the Spanish can learn something from this. It is a pity that the European beaurocrats, with their strong German/French influences, cannot create sensible speed limit uniformity, at maximum 130kms/hour, across the whole of Europe.
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Hi haven't used site for ages, but read all the time, have just read this thread and told my other half who has said that the lower speed limit on single caridgeways is just a way to make you use more fuel, s hio one way or another we pay l
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Fruit.....
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We have never used this site before.
Our local Tabac owner informs us that there are now more "restrictions" in Spain then there were in Franco's era. A comment obviously influenced by vested interest and not to be taken seriously (please no comments from Republican supporters!) The root of the problem is (as always) the politicians who fail to think through the law of unintended consequences.
Or as Plato observed...
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are idiots.”
@ Alexander7. A trans-Europe speed limit! What a brilliant idea! You are obviously not a politician. Only foreseeable difficulty being that the British would never agree to whatever the rest of the EU deceided. Something to do with national sovereignty! This message was last edited by Text on 02/03/2011.
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Have to agree with the general theme of discussion. There was a time when Spain conveniently ignored the drivel coming out of Brussels but they have now been blackmailed into conforming with the unelected Brussels dictators - oops - sorry commisioners and as suggested none of them think outside the box. We are all supposed to be europeans so why can't they instill european standards and levels throughout.
This message was last edited by steppsgirl on 03/03/2011.
This message was last edited by steppsgirl on 03/03/2011.
This message was last edited by steppsgirl on 03/03/2011.
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@steppsgirl
Very True: Spain has always “conveniently ignore(d) the drivel coming out of Brussels” whilst “conveniently” accepting billions of euros in funding (grants and subsidies) to vastly improve the country’s infrastructure. A sizeable amount of this funding coming from the UK.
That Spain is now being “blackmailed” (as you tactfully word it) into showing some sort of appreciation for this largess, by conforming to European Law, is hardly surprising.
You are right … we are all “Europeans” excepting some countries consider themselves less “European” than others when it comes to the convenience of observing European Law – as witnessed by Spain managing to weasel around the smoking ban in bars/restaurants for over four years…
Have you cake and eat it – but only for a while. Eventually there will be a day of reckoning and if the Spanish people are not prepared to live in harmony within European Law then they should either quit or be expelled from the Union.
In my view neither Spain nor the UK have (for different reasons) the frame-of-mind to be EU members.
EU membership has cost the UK billions whereas it has cost Spain nothing - apart from some inconvenient laws which have been largely ignored.
Which all goes to show that the Spanish are a lot smarter than the Brits!
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Text
It is refreshing to know that there are others out there that see things as they really are and not through rose coloured spectacles. It is unfortunate that we do not have the means to challenge the status quo.
This message was last edited by steppsgirl on 03/03/2011.
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Maybe Spain is the trend setter here ?
According to http://www.mpgforspeed.com/ optimal speed for average car is 88.6 kps
- 3% less efficient at 60 mph - 98.5 kph
- 8% less efficient at 65 mph - 104 kph
- 17% less efficient at 70 mph - 112.6kph
- 23% less efficient at 75 mph - 120.7
- 28% less efficient at 80 mph - 128.7
So raising the limit in the UK from 70 to 80 mph is giving drivers the freedom to legal waste more of a precious, scarce and dwindling resource.
Until we get vehicles designed with lower drag it wlll always be thus.
I'm a futureologist and environmentalist. Unfortunately we are like naughtly children and we need enforced laws to make us act responsibly.
I say well done Mr. Bean. If you don't like driving slower - stay at home or get a cycle.
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@Pmillsom
Excellent information …
From now on we will drive at a steady 88.6 kms/hour to help offset the ever rising cost of oil.
You say that you are a “futureologist” so you may appreciate that in the retarded world of Islam the popular ownership of motorcars will be a rarity – particular if you are a kafir who will not be allowed to buy any oil.
A big improvement then?
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The % saving as a function of speed looks like a typical example of useless statistics. Of course the most fuel saving speed is exactly 0 mph (=0 kph) but then one would not get anywere! The difference between 110kms/hr & 120 kms/hr is not worth the hassle of having a different speed limit than most of Europe - unless the Spanish government intention is really to substantially increase its speeding fine revenues, but I doubt that such an increase will compensate for the losses arising from their economic and financial management over the past decades.
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@Alexander 7
I understand the money is required for Spain's third world-aid-programme ...
Or in otherwords; for themselves!
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Text,
A famous modern Arab wisdom is
"my grandfather rode a camel, my father had a BMW, I fly a helecopter, my son - he will ride a camel."
But actually Spain (and north Africa countries) are fortunate that photovoltics will come of age - but don't expect
the electric car will be like the one you have now with a different engine.
It may be small and mostly carbonfibre rather than steel / alloy. I envisage entensible cars that have like a "bolt on" trailer for extra capactiy when needed.
Pete
This message was last edited by Pete201 on 06/03/2011.
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@Pete201
You write ;- "But actually Spain (and north Africa countries) are fortunate that photovoltics will come of age - but don't expect the electric car will be like the one you have now with a different engine."
Photovoltics will obviously provide a low-carbon-immission solution for the problem of driving to the Mosque everyday.
Will it also be capable of powering the washing-machine, cooker and tele?
Or will we have to revert to beating our clothes with rocks (steady girls!) lighting fires and reading the Koran?
Can't wait.
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