Campaign for Tavistock reopening

[whole diary]

[Andy]

Thanks for the honest appraisal, Richard. As 34104 mentioned, there are historical reasons for us to be cautious (or 'cynical') but at the current time, investment in infrastructure - and rail in particular - seems to be more acceptable than for many a long year.

[andrewr]

Hi all,

The Tavistock Tmies has a poll on the reopening of the Bere Alston to Tavistock line on its webpage - http://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/tn/index.cfm

Now, until a day or two back, the proportions were 80% in favour and no at 12%. Last night the no votes went up from 23% to 35% in just a couple of hours, which I've never seen on any of the web polls I've been involved in.

So, could the good denizens of the Coffee Shop visit the Tavistock Times and vote in support of the link? I'll be getting in touch with the features editor today to see if I can write something in support of the link too - and if you're in the area, if you could write to the letters page in support of the railway, that will make a real difference...

Thanks for your help,

Andy Roden

[grahame]

Hi, Andy ... the question is a very interestingly worded one:

Would you use the proposed train link from Tavistock to Plymouth?

and I wonder what's the background behind it?    I don't know the numbers / area personally, but let's say that 1000 people travel from Tavistock to Plymouth and a good number of them - 400 - go by rail.  That's  at least twice the national average; nationwide, some 80% of travel is by private motor transport.  With that transfer rate from road to rail, the service would be a success (I suspect) and yet the vote would show less that 50% "yes".  It's not worded as a vote for or against the re-opening!.

If I were travelling to Tavistock, and an appropriate train was provided, I would use it ... and on that basis I would/will vote. But that's not exactly what's being asked, is it?

P.S. ... from what I can see, there is very likely to be scope for technical abuse / multiple voting by a single determined individual ... of the sort we have taken care to try to avoid in our TransWilts support pledge. 

[andrewr]

Hi Grahame,

It's a good point you raise there - and you're right that it's not a vote for or against the reopening. My concern was seeing the whopping huge increase in the poll numbers last night. I've run a few web polls, and I've not seen that sort of change in any of them in a week never mind a couple of hours.

My big worry with Tavistock is that the line isn't reopened. I almost missed picking up my morning suit for my wedding last year because it took over an hour to find a parking space there, and it's going to get worse. Generally speaking, voices in opposition to anything tend to shout louder, even if their views don't make sense, so I want to do what I can to speak up for reopening the railway. I'd guess that most of the opposition is centred on the housing developments, but even so, Tavvy really needs some alternative to the Plymouth road (an absolute nightmare at busy times), and the railway's the only game in town...

Still a good point you raise though - wonder what the figure would be if it were a straight vote...

Andy

[devon_metro]

Perhaps the government have been voting?

[Andy]

Perhaps the government have been voting?

or the opposition?

[vacman]

COME ON YOU LOT VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just have!

[caliwag]

I have...

[devon_metro]

Voted earlier

[Chris from Nailsea]

So have I - and the results now stand as follows:

Would you use the proposed train link from Tavistock to Plymouth?
Yes         62%
No           33%
Maybe      5%

 

[woody]

Just added my yes vote.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Ahem!  In a secret ballot, Woody, you really shouldn't tell us all afterwards how you voted! 

[Andy]

COME ON YOU LOT VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just have!

Voted yesterday.

[34104]

Just voted.Mr Harper,whose opposition has been vehement all along, and one or two other councillors have been noising off again in the Western Morning News this week about fighting the proposals,so they haven't given up yet.They did not mention any specific tactics to be used against the plans,though-not sure there is a lot they can do,we shall see.A healthy vote in the poll on the train usage issue will certainly do no harm.

[Feckham]

Hi

I sincerely trust that this poll is not going to be used in any decision process(es).

The major flaw with this type of poll, be it on the internet, phone or what ever is the use of multiple votes from the same source.  This can often skew the results beyond all recognition often making the whole process irrelevant.

In this particular case, one would trust that the technically advanced options of IP selection etc to limit participation, ie one vote per IP address etc. have been used, but I would suggest that perhaps it has not, if the results have changed so drastically "over night".  Certain individuals if so disposed even create processes to enter multiple times, and that is the reason a great many internet sites require the user to enter a confirmation code to enter sites etc, to stop these web "crawlers"/"spiders"

If the Tavistock Times Gazette really wanted a clearer picture, perhaps they should stand by the voting stations at the forthcoming local elections, or outside supermarkets!

Fecks