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[Doug S]

Very very Debatable

Hey, come on now, nobody really INVENTS anything these days. They just advance the art to a plateau where it's very useful to people. Thomas Edison didn't invent the lightbulb, Nikola Tesla didn't invent the AC motor, James Watt didn't invent the steam engine, they just made them work well enough that people could use them.

And you left out John von Neumann and one of my personal favorites (along with Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing), Rear Admiral "Amazing" Grace Hopper. Hopper created the first compiler and perhaps more importantly, coined the term "debugging".

Honestly I don't know much about television...I thought it had pretty much been invented by RCA. Wikipedia's entry shows a very long, winding development route, but again, it caught fire when someone (looks like it was RCA) actually made it worth having in the home.

[Erasmo]

How about steering back to the other political issue about the government subsidies.

[MostlyBonkers]

Good plan. Still no news. I hope the civil servants can hold themselves back from their Christmas lunches long enough to put something in ink before they all shut down for the holidays. We've be waiting too long and I'm getting fed up with all the anticipation. They'll probably think we should be grateful too when their lack of action has held back progress for years. Imagine if we'd got the subsidy in 2013? That would have been a good time to implement it. Zero might not have pulled out of the UK market and we'd see a few Zeros on the streets. It's pathetic really but I'm am glad that something is finally happening.

[Testpilot1]

I don't know what you've heard,but I contacted OLEV  when I put a Deposit down on the Police Spec Zero's.They in formed me the budget for it would be decided at the spending review..............I waited a few days,and contacted the Department of Transport...........they told me that the 31m allocated for 'Other Vehicles' had been thrown out the window,and the budget had increased,I think they said to about 60m.
Asked if they were likely to be making a decision anytime Soon now.........and guess what,they couldn't really give me an answer.............coulsn't organise a piss up in a brewery springs to mind,how difficult is it to say if motorcycles are eligible or not,country's run by a bunch of clowns !!!!!!!!

[MostlyBonkers]

Well done for trying. We don't get value for money from all the tax we pay, that's for sure! I'd like to see the government run like the service industry. Lots of focus on customer service rather than bureaucracy. Much more accountability. Much more agility. Cut the bullshit too.

[MostlyBonkers]

I've just sent an email to my local MP to see if there's anything she can do to expedite the process of getting the subsidy implemented.  Or at the very least confirming that the subsidy will be applied retrospectively to any motorcycles purchased this month.

If anyone has any other contact details for government officials that might be able to help move this forward, please post them here or send me a private message.

 

[MostlyBonkers]

I've also just sent this email to OLEV:

*****************
Dear Sir/Madam,
 
You may be aware that Zero Motorcycles have come back to the UK market and have a dealership arrangement with Streetbike in Birmingham.  This is a great leap forward for an industry that is struggling to get established in this country.
 
Many potential customers have been waiting for news on a subsidy to help with the high initial cost of the motorcycles for most of the year:
 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-revs-up-motorcycle-market
 
We recently heard that the subsidy was coming and approximately ten customers have got their bikes waiting for them at Streetbike whilst we await further news.  All we need is confirmation that the subsidy will be retrospective so that we can all complete our deals and take delivery of our bikes.  Can you at least confirm that whilst the details of the subsidy are being finalised please?  It would make a big difference to everyone who has put their faith in electric vehicles and who are currently waiting in limbo with no solid information.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
********************

Please send them an email yourself if you can: olev.enquiries@olev.gsi.gov.uk

Further details are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-low-emission-vehicles

[Testpilot1]

Stirling effort MostlyBonkers, If you don't mind I'll use yours as a template,to do the same my end.
Been 2 days and haven't heard anything from OLEV........Wonder if they've broken up already !!!!

[MostlyBonkers]

Thanks.

Yes I meant to say use it as a template if you wish.

I get the feeling nobody is doing any work now. Our office is dead already! Fingers crossed there's a conscientious civil servant or two out there.

[Justin Andrews]

Hello.
 
In reference to the proposed motorcycle grant / subsidy, in light of the governments enthusiastic commitment to the Paris COP21 climate change talks.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-revs-up-motorcycle-market
 
I have heard that recently the subsidy was coming and approximately ten customers, of which I am one, have their bikes waiting for them at Streetbike whilst we await further news. I would like confirmation that the subsidy will be retrospective, or due soon, so that I can all complete my deal and take delivery of my bike. 

Can you at least confirm that whilst the details of the subsidy are being finalised please? 
 
Yours faithfully,
Justin Andrews


My variant.

[MostlyBonkers]

Excellent! I like the way you pointed out 'the government's enthusiastic commitment' to COP21.

If any others here can spare a few minutes to send an email to either OLEV and/or their local MP, we'd be most grateful. There's a Z-bike hostage situation in Birmingham and the government are the ones wearing the balaclavas!

[Testpilot1]

Just emailed a hybrid version of both of your letters to my local mp,and coppied OLEV in on it, NO SURRENDER !!!!!!!!!

Dear Stephen Phillips MP,

You may not be aware,but Zero Motorcycles have come back to the UK market and have a dealership arrangement with Streetbike in Birmingham.  This is a great leap forward for the electric motorcycle industry,a huge commitment, after previously being forced to leave the UK after not receiving governmental support in 2012.

With reference to the proposed motorcycle grant / subsidy, in light of the governments enthusiastic commitment to the Paris COP21 climate change talks,could I ask if you could enquire what is delaying a final decision by OLEV on this plug in motorcycle grant.

Many potential customers have been waiting for news on a subsidy to help with the high initial cost of the motorcycles for most of the year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-revs-up-motorcycle-market

We recently heard that the subsidy was coming and  customers have got bikes waiting for them at Streetbike whilst we await further news.  All we need is confirmation that the subsidy will be retrospective so that we can all complete our deals and take delivery of our bikes. 

Could you at least confirm what the finalised details of the subsidy are,that are halting progress please?
It would make a big difference to everyone who has put their faith in electric vehicles and who are currently waiting in limbo with no solid information.

Yours faithfully,

Gareth Wilkinson

[Testpilot1]

Response :

Dear Mr Wilkinson,

 

Thank you for your email. We will make some enquiries about this with the department and get back to you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Emma

 

 

Emma Salisbury

Senior Parliamentary Assistant

Office of Stephen Phillips QC MP

 

 

 

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

020 7219 7146

[MostlyBonkers]

Nice one Gareth! [emoji4]

[Justin Andrews]

Meh, I hav'nt had a reply yet. They don't like me...