In Focus: And so this is Christmas
And what have we done? Very little this week to be honest. I’m sure like me you’ve spent much of the last few days doing a passable impersonation of Omar Sharif in Dr Zhivago, desperately battling against blizzards to get home to his loved ones.
I’d like to report that Birmingham City Council has gone the extra mile to tackle the problem but personally I haven’t seen much evidence of gritting or the use of snow ploughs. Does the city actually own a snow plough?
The business disruption caused in the last week or so - Insider has even had to postpone a round table debate for the first time in living memory - must be pretty much the last straw for companies that have had an extremely tough year. But whilst there is little we can do to solve the world economic problems caused by reckless banks and a lack of regulation, surely in 2010 we have the technology to deal with inclement weather conditions.
Television news reports have revealed that Helsinki Airport in snowbound Scandinavia rarely has a cancelled flight whilst trains continue to speed through the Alps and the Rockies in the bleak midwinter. The technology is clearly there but we are choosing not to pay for it. We still seem to take the view that winters this severe are a fairly rare occurrence and local authorities, understandably, are having to make tough choices about what they spend their money on in an era when their budgets are being slashed.
But surely we can expect better from privately owned train operators and airports? Frozen diesel oil is right up there with leaves on the track as far as excuses go.
And I saw an interview with Dunlop’s chief executive this week. He stressed - and there is obviously a fair degree of self interest here - that on the continent people keep a set of winter tread tyres for such weather conditions. Indeed in Germany it is mandatory to do so. He expressed amazement that in this country school buses and ambulances whizz around in the winter on summer tread tyres.
It’s good news that under fire transport secretary Philip Hammond has asked the Met Office for long-range weather forecasts so that we can plan for such conditions in the future. Too little, too late, it may be argued but at least some action is being taken. We clearly need to become better prepared for extreme weather, personally and as a country.
I don’t know about you and I’m about ready to put this year behind me and to come back in the New Year with a bit more energy and with expectations of a better year for all of us.
Insider will be taking a break over and will return on January 4th. I’d like to take this opportunity of wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Many thanks for all of your support in 2010 and rest assured that Insider will once again be at the heart of the regional debate in 2011.
Any comments? Andy Coyne, Insider
