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Hanif Khan in Chiswick today 28 October

In case anyone is in the mood for biscotti or if you need some pancetta or have something else on your mind...Hanif Khan will be outside The Italians at 1:30 this afternoon.

David Lesniak ● 2194d68 Comments

I hope he isn't coming by bus otherwise he won't be there until, earliest, 1.45pm.

Adrian Irving ● 2194d

A bus for a man of such eminence? Don't be silly. He is coming for the ceremonial opening of the Hanif Khan Bus Gate and then will give a speech on how his traffic diversion policy has saved Chiswick from constant gridlock.

Anita Blake ● 2194d

He should be on Chiswick High Road  now, bumper to bumper traffic !

Loraine Pemberton ● 2194d

If he is really 'opening' the bus gate then he is deluded. This is the most pointless piece of road infrastructure I have ever seen. There was never a problem for buses at this junction, but the new bus gate and much shorter left turn lane will reduce capacity and is already causing long queues back to the business park. THere are many flats and new blocks along here. Never let Hounslow or TFL tell you that these schemes will reduce congestion or pollution, its a lie. Every single bus after crossing the junction stops by Sainsburys. So any few seconds gained by the new bus gate will be lost within 100 yards. These 'traffic planners' have no idea what they are doing.Remember, one of the criteria for 'success' of CS9 is congestion, especially buses. As TFL only measure bus speeds, and are doing everything they can to help buses, queues for all other vehicles are considered irrelevant.

Paul Green ● 2194d

Coming by bus? Perish the thought! If he follows the pattern set by those other virtue-signallers, Steve Curran, Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer, he'll be coming in a large, expensive 4x4.

Colin Jordan ● 2194d

If he follows the example of the latter, cyclists beware !

Richard Greenhough ● 2194d

Convenient as I think the Thames Water works are finishing today so he'll think what's all the fuss about.

Helen Whitman ● 2194d

How about a protest with banners, placards, anything to show our collective disapproval, horror, despair ?  I would be at the front of the crowd, but am in Cornwall. Anyone ???

Madeleine Hazard ● 2193d

Helen, where did you hear that the roadworks were finishing today? The latest I have heard is either the 2 or 3 November. I hope you are right.

Anita Blake ● 2193d

Traffic is heavy along CHR west to east, I heard it was 3/11 works were finishing

Loraine Pemberton ● 2193d

I popped along to add to the numbers in opposition to the bus gate ... interesting to note that pretty much every bus driver gave us the thumbs up or hooted in agreement!I don't think poor old Hanif was expecting to walk into the ring like that.

Chris Blackwell ● 2193d

Well if 'poor old Hanif' didn't expect it, he hasn't been reading local social media sites or he would have done.  I expect he is in deep, deep denial, as the pic on OneChiswick Facebook shows of him standing outside The Italians with his back to gridlocked traffic on the Chiswick High Road.

Claire Moran ● 2193d

Hanif Khan was there to kick off the new bike delivery service, with The Italians now part of a consortium of Chiswick independent shops offering cargo-bike delivery in a 2.5 mile radius. It was nothing to do with the bus gate.Councillor Khan arrived appropriately on his bike along a noticeably quiet High Road. At least it was quiet until the OneChiswick flashmob appeared at which point the proprietor of The Italians got very angry with them for trying to take over what was supposed to be a positive event for local traders. Apparently some choice Italian was directed at the leader of OneChiswick.So OneChiswick have succeeded in bringing the Council and Chiswick retailers together, though maybe not quite in the way they intended.

Tom Pike ● 2193d

Tom, I wish you would give it a break with your myopic postings. When you say a 'noticeably quiet' High Road, are you taking the proverbial? You mean apart from the mile long queues of traffic that stretch well past the Italians. Were you even there, are is this another of your misinformation posts?Its a shame the bus gate is not yet fully operational but Hanif could have seen what chaos it is causing at a junction that never had a problem before. Its a symbol of the grotesque waste and mismanagement of TFL. There are already lots of delivery services in W4, the Italians is on Deliveroo and a number of their people use bikes. I was not going to post this but Tuesday I was nearly struck by a cargo bike when crossing the High Road by Sainsburys to head down Town Hall avenue. I stepped onto the crossing from the north side, when a rather speedy car did stop. As I crossed the middle area I noticed a cargo bike being pedalled furiously towards me. Loaded on the front with half a dozen boxes that looked like pizzas. As I stepped forward he wizzed past me with no attempt to stop. I did call out that it was a zebra, but got just a wave (at least not a rude sign). So I do hope with more cargo bikes wizzing around the area they are going to observe the laws of the road.

Paul Green ● 2193d

Alls Fair in Love and War.So it seems war has been declared.Have you got a tin hat Tom?

Bernard Allen ● 2193d

OneChiswick were actually very disappointed that the High Road failed to provide any chaos for Councillor Khan to see, as I'm sure Chris will confirm.Sorry to hear about your near miss with a cargo bike. There's certainly more of them around.

Tom Pike ● 2193d

Quite the opposite, in fact. It's good to see the council and traders working together to improve the retail offer in Chiswick.I gather at the other end of the High Road, retailers and the Council have also been working together on getting one of our shopping streets closed entirely to motor traffic on an occasional basis.As for OneChiswick and The Italians, I wasn't the one needing a tin hat.

Tom Pike ● 2193d

Wow Tom, you're telling whopping great untruths !Btw does Imperial College, your employer,  know you spend so much of your time on unrelated matters for which you're employed  ? Or have I got that wrong  ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 2193d

Encouraging pile-ons is not edifying.

Carl Wynne ● 2193d

Were any of the Chiswick Councillors at this event? If so were they also there to support The Italians’ owners and celebrate the launch of the bike delivery service? It would have been awkward for them to have been there to witness the celebration interrupted by an angry mob given how eager they have been to encourage Hanif Khan and other Cabinet members to spend more time supporting and engaging with people and businesses in Chiswick.

Paul Campbell ● 2193d

Tom: to confirm the High Road was gridlocked most of the day. As at 1pm it was solid from well before the Italians with traffic blocking the Sutton Lane/ Acton Lane junction. I was on a 272 that was stuck for 5 minutes unable to turn right onto the High Road due to the stationary traffic. I could see traffic queuing back along the High Road eastbound extending out of sight by the Halfords. Fact. Try and stop posting lies and disinformation

Paul Green ● 2193d

The HIgh Road in the pic in the article about Hanif's visit does not look 'noticeably quiet'. Interesting he kept his back to the traffic as if he did not want to see it.

Claire Moran ● 2193d

I went into The Italians to buy my weekly order, and in this instance, Mortadella and Tallegio, didn't notice any Chiswick Councillors or The Italians staff outside.However, there was a very large intimidating and aggressive London Cycling Hub man seemingly protecting Hanif Khan - what was that about ?All very strange ....

Loraine Pemberton ● 2193d

Indeed Clair, was just about to post that. Tom: its a shame for a supposedly respected academic you seem to have such a casual relationship to truth and facts.

Paul Green ● 2193d

The Italians is just up from the traffic lights. There are bound to be queues and certainly the traffic up to Chiswick roundabout can get especially bad. But gridlock most of the day? Here's what it looked like at 3 pm. 
 

Tom Pike ● 2193d

Tom,Prove it ! CHR west to east was gridlockedTell the truth

Loraine Pemberton ● 2193d

It was taken and posted by a member of OneChiswick this afternoon. If you are signed up to it you can log on and confirm yourself.

Tom Pike ● 2193d

TOM, this is confusing. You posted earlier to claim there was no traffic. Now you post a picture and claim it is from 3pm, though based on your recent track record who knows.To reiterate, at 1pm the High Road was solid from TGT back past the Italians as far as at least Halfords. This was not just because of the Acton Lane lights. Traffic was unable to turn right from Sutton Lane onto the High Road as a result of eastbound queues. It has been like that most of the day. It may or may not have cleared by 3pm. We cannot really say. But we do know is your earlier post was FALSE.

Paul Green ● 2193d

Understand this all went well and a very positive event - well done to Councillor Khan for being brave enough to come to Chiswick, knowing a very vocal and negative minority would try to denigrate anything he does. I stand by the for inevitable barrage of scorn .......

John Stroud ● 2193d

Paul, I've no reason to doubt there was the queue at 1 pm you observed. Councillor Khan arrived rather later than that and by the time he left at 3 pm there was very little, as the photo shows. I don't think we actually disagree on any of the above.

Tom Pike ● 2193d

John, not scorn but genuine puzzlement. 75% of local residents (not lobbyists from Reading) responded to a poll and wanted Fishers Lane reopen. Strange that non of the pro cycling posters ever choose to refer to this. Like eels their story and narratives shifts constantly.Please also note that opposing various aspects of the schemes that have been imposed on W4 with no consultation does not make one anti cycling or anti safer streets. But as these streets beyond to us all, we are all entitled to be heard. Not just a narrow lobby group. A degree of openness to discussion and alternative viewpoints would not go amiss.

Paul Green ● 2193d

Loraine, so was it sheer coincidence you were at The Italians the same time as the protestors?I’d hazard a guess that the London Cycling Hub man earns a living doing cargo bike deliveries. I don’t know what he may have thought of a bunch of people turning up to disrupt something that will put food on his table.

Michael Robinson ● 2193d

I hope he wasn't the youngish chap who almost knocked me down delivering a pile of pizza boxes earlier this week. There are already loads of low wage delivery staff in W4, many on mopeds but a number on bikes. I think they all deserve a living regardless of their choice of transport.

Paul Green ● 2193d

It has been pointed out elsewhere that due to Covid, much of the commuting traffic is diluted as people now forced to work from home, if they still have jobs that is, and Covid is causing many many people to obey the rules and stay home.  Also schools are out which always reduces traffic.

Jennifer Selig ● 2193d

Tom, this is what proper community engagement looks like:https://www.pgweb.uk/planning-all-subjects/planning-and-development-overview/2827-enfield-town-plans-revealedYou love to talk about Palmers Green so talk about this.LBH has done nothing like this. They have not canvassed businesses even though they are newly armed with contact info due to COVID grants, etc. They have not arrived at our door (or any door barring The Italians) for that  matter to see how things are going. You are mistaking a destination for a photo op as engagement.LBH has not issued a proper plan per the Palmers Green example illustrating changes for absolutely every mode of accessing public infrastructure.LBH has not set up community engagement meetings to hear what the public has to say. Your arguments supporting that methodology indicates you have no interest in engaging. You love Palmers Green. You wax poetic about it publicly and privately. And here is evidence plain and simple LBH has not followed the Palmers Green example.As to the delivery service itself, it is not free to traders. Maybe free to customers, but not to traders. We are on the Our High Road app. When we first met with Chris and Ami one of the first things I asked was about delivery and how they needed to sort it out and how it was a chance to rethink local deliveries including with cargo bikes. To me it is an opportunity to compete with Deliveroo. Chris said they did not want to become a logistics company which is understandable. And they are now trying this which is also understandable. But we pay 20% to Our High Road and we pay 30% to Deliveroo. Neither is a small portion and both further challenge any venue in terms of margin. The absolute best way to support any trader of any type especially now is to get out and shop/dine with them directly or collect. End of. Anything else and their margin suffers.And one more thing to consider about those cargo bikes: they will be using the bi-directional cycle lane.

David Lesniak ● 2193d

Tom if I may."OneChiswick were actually very disappointed that the High Road failed to provide any chaos for Councillor Khan to see, as I'm sure Chris will confirm" Now, I was not there in person and I have looked at the photo on the front page which would suggest otherwise. Would you agree? You later posted a photo showing near empty CHR at 3pm, the suggestion was you had taken the photo but when challenged you claimed it was infact taken from someone else on another forum with absolute no proof of a time or date. Again, do you agree you may have misled the forum?  Now going back to the photo which you allege was taken by someone else you do not know or trust around 3pm. I left my house at 3 pm, (give or take 5 mins) yesterday afternoon to go to the HSBC cash point and as i left home it was very dark and on my way the heavens opened. I can assure you that around the time walking to and from the bank the traffic on the HR was very congested. Now, if you look closer at your photo, the road looks bone dry and the leaves on the tree still look greenish you would agree. As i look outside my window most of the trees are showing a more golden glow unless my eyes are deceiving me. But what is also more interesting about the photo is no tables outside all the little cafes that stretch of the HR which would suggest the photo was taken early morning before 8ish would you not agree?  I am sure your intention was not deceive us and you may have made a mistake in which case, come clean and admit you may have got it wrong on this occasion and we move on, otherwise you will not be taken seriously. We look forward to your response Tom. 

James Smith-Jones ● 2193d

James, can you think of any reason a member of OneChiswick would post a photo of an empty High Road and comment on their frustration that there was no traffic at 3pm on the High Road if that was not in fact the case?

Tom Pike ● 2192d

Well ive done some quick research and it seems pictures taken on the highroad further down from someone at 3.15pm was chocker block. Strange one end in a photo is dead like a nice sunday am stroll shoot while another is like picadilly circus at christmas time The two cant connect. Given Pauls photos on TGT which ive looked closely at they are completely taken at various times at certain angles  and in one photo you can only say it was deceiving at best. Id love to get the originals and check the meta data on them. So,is one end at 3pm dead and futher down 15 mins later chocker block ? Where is all that traffic going if its dead at 3pm by the ittalians. One photo at 3pm connected and posted and the other non connected at 3.15pm You decide

Julian Pavey ● 2192d

Are some people seriously trying to claim traffic in Chiswick isn't that bad at the moment?

Felicity Caborn ● 2192d

Video at 1.30pm shows chocker block traffic both way So we have 1.30 and 3.15 but a photo at 3pm shows it to be non existant of traffic

Julian Pavey ● 2192d

Presumably if the photo was taken when the next set of traffic lights was holding back the traffic, it would be possible to claim that the traffic was not very heavy. Ergo a single photo at one moment in time does not really prove anything.

Richard Greenhough ● 2192d

i don't know Tom, you posted the photo suggesting there was no traffic at 3pm. What about the other points i have raised about the road being dry and no tables outside? I think you may have tried to mislead us, no?

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

lett me remind you of your post Tom in case you have forgotten."The Italians is just up from the traffic lights. There are bound to be queues and certainly the traffic up to Chiswick roundabout can get especially bad.But gridlock most of the day? Here's what it looked like at 3 pm."

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

“Can someone please get over and go on the khan in chiswick thread and tell that lobbyist Tom Pike that the owner of hothouse collared Khan pleading with him because deliveries to his premises  are taking forever and some have told him they may have to give him a miss  thankyou...Guess your looking at this Pikey“(Cut and pasted from OneChiswick site)

Madeleine Hazard ● 2192d

all very fishy!

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

Thanks for that, though it looks like Councillor Khan got the message very directly in this case first!I don't think anyone is questioning that the effect on retail of any of the current measures should be taken into account. However, to do that there needs to be consistent and reliable information, for example changes in sales compared to similar locations unaffected by the measures. Such information is likely to be more effective in shaping implementation than an individual retailer collaring a councillor. It's unfortunate there was disruption of an event that was supposed send a positive message about Chiswick retail, hence another retailer's anger.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

"However, to do that there needs to be consistent and reliable information"  could not agree with you more!!!!!

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

"Such information is likely to be more effective in shaping implementation than an individual retailer collaring a councillor" what planet you on, if the Cllr's were in anyway listening in the first place we would not be in this mess would we! Every retailer i have been to on the high road recently are up in arms as us residents, the high road is a bl@@dy mess and you can pass that on and suggest he reads what people are saying on this forum.

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

You're making my point. What people say on this forum can be dismissed as anecdotal hearsay, irrespective of whether or not it's accurate. That's one reason why a collation of reliable and accurate information is much more likely to be effective.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

wo, wo hang on a minute, you are having a larf! you come on here and been caught out and now you bang on about reliable information, give us all a break pal.

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

As an example, we have a reliable archive of the traffic on the east end of the High Road taken from the TfL camera looking west from the junction with Goldhawk Road:https://archive.tfljamcams.net/archive/Chiswick_High_Rd_Goldhawk_Rd/If you look at the archive for yesterday, although the traffic is busier at the peaks, at no point can it be described as gridlock.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

On even the busiest roads, there are a few seconds when traffic lights are holding up the traffic before the mayhem continues when they go to green.  Pics of the High Road looking empty are carefully timed to catch those few seconds.

Claire Moran ● 2192d

Tom, i don't need to look at TFL camera to see the traffic chaos on the high rd. Just a matter of interest, are you a local resident? I have lived here for over 30 years and i can assure you i have never known traffic to be so bad these last few weeks. The HR is a mess and sitting outside the Italian on Saturday to enjoy my cup of coffee was not an enjoyable outing with buses and cars hooting at one another not to mention the fumes.

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

Hanif Khan was on CHR yesterday and it was bumper to bumper - or isn't seeing it for himself good enough evidence ? I live on CHR and every day the bumper to bumper traffic is an absolute nightmare, that maybe anecdotal evidence in your eyes but it's nonetheless true.Suggest you come down from your Ivory Tower and join the real world !

Loraine Pemberton ● 2192d

I can't question you experience, but I can tell you that pollution at the High Road monitoring station on Saturday morning was below average for the month, which was in turn was more than 40% down on average compared to October last year:

Policy should normally be based on evidence, not any one person's experience, however valid that might be.

For your information, I've lived in Chiswick for over twenty years, not that it has any particular relevance.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

If anyone can post it on the Forum I can send it them, via WhatsApp preferably as it's probably too large via email

Loraine Pemberton ● 2192d

"Pics of the High Road looking empty are carefully timed to catch those few seconds."Exactly. Same as all other 'proof' and 'evidence' carefully selected by Tom and the team.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2192d

so could that have anything to do with less planes flying in and out of heathrow airport?

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

Pollution at the High Road monitoring station is mainly from traffic on the High Road. There is a seasonal variation, hence the comparison with October last year. The weather also plays a role, which a monthly average helps to remove. Taking just a 6 am to 6 pm average also reduces non-traffic contributions. The contribution from aviation to these particular readings is completely negligible, except for any reduction in traffic along the High Road from the reduced number of vehicle trips to and from Heathrow.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

Ummm, and where exactly is this monitoring station situated on the high road?

James Smith-Jones ● 2192d

Tom, this is what proper community engagement looks like:https://www.pgweb.uk/planning-all-subjects/planning-and-development-overview/2827-enfield-town-plans-revealedYou love to talk about Palmers Green so talk about this.Why didn't LBH implement this practice in Chiswick?LIved experience is not dismissable as anecdotal hearsay.

David Lesniak ● 2192d

It has something to do with the types of vehicles travelling, their age, types, number... other sources of air emissions in the vicinity of the particular meter... all over a certain period of time - e.g. if we have little traffic for a month and then heavy traffic next month- you can guess the result...We have older buses one year, and modern hybrid buses next year...

Alex Shpinkov ● 2192d

Hidden in plain sight, the rather large metal structure outside the George IV:

Tom Pike ● 2192d

Just to add: Cllr Khan was out for the launch of the free, eco-delivery service running for our independent retailers. It's a trial using e-cargo bikes to deliver locally, running until Dec/Jan.At Our High Road (ourhighroad.com), we're making it easier to shop local online with over 20 (+growing) local businesses in one app, and now with free consolidated delivery, thanks to the council-funded e-cargo bike & London Bike Hub operating it. Hopefully a great addition to the area, with free deliveries from local retailers, helping them sell more online and reducing the number of van deliveries on the roads.  Thanks for all the support we received from Cllr Hearn and the protesters who chatted to us warmly: whatever your thoughts on the current roads situation, I hope we can all agree that this brings benefits to people wanting to keep W4 thriving. 

Chris Cole ● 2192d

I have posted for a while about the tenuous link to honesty and intergrity that many of the lobbyists seem to have. THere is a concerted campaign of disinformation, from dodgy data to willful misinterpretations of data to dubious photos. Even those who really, really should know better like Tom seem unable to help themeselves.This thread can enable everyone to see the misinformation in action. A picture that it seems was not even taken that day was shown to suggest there was no congestion on the High Road, by someone who was not there and blames someone else. First hand accounts of people who were there are dismissed as apparently irrelevant. They then come back with an irrelevant comment about traffic at Goldhawk Road. Let us be clear. Tom and others are not interested in rational discussion or engagement. Their group approach is to push for whatever measures are on offer and then defend them to the hilt, no concessions allowed. Anything can be said to defend this position.On social media people are posting that TGT used to resemble the A4 and is now an oasis of calm. I do not recognise this version of the past and there are still plenty of buses, taxis and vans that make it hard to call it calm. It is though sadly rather lacking on the shoppers. Worst of all, these are the only people that the decision makers in Hounslow choose to listen to.

Paul Green ● 2192d

There are busy periods on CHR but generally it seems fine most of the time - of course Hammersmith Bridge is a major factor. we need to let the schemes bed in and let the work complete before we get a true picture. However, the predicted carnage is not obviously apparent.

John Stroud ● 2192d

Paul, you can't first misrepresent what I've said, and then claim that proves I was the one being misleading.As you know the photo was taken by a OneChiswick supporter who made the comment that it unfortunately showed at that time of Councillor Khan's visit, around 3 pm, there was very little traffic on just that part of the High Road. It's a very tortuous logic to suggest that this photo had been taken to intentionally misrepresent the congestion in the High Road, was furthermore taken on a different day, or that somehow I'm blaming anyone for taking the photo. It should be quite possible to have a discussion without distorting what has been said or resorting to denigration.I have at no time discounted anyone's personal experience. I have said that if reliable and consistent evidence can be provided, it has the benefit of not being able to be discounted as hearsay. But I have at no point questioned that you got caught up in traffic on your bus ride yesterday. And on your last point, by reopening TGT due to the extended emergency work by Thames Water, it's rather clear that the Council are not just going to turn a blind eye to reports of serious congestion.

Tom Pike ● 2192d

"However, the predicted carnage is not obviously apparent"Pity your buddy Hanif Khan just did an abrupt about face. Maybe you and Ruth can wipe each others tears while hectoring people outside of Beehive.On a separate note, an awful day for Labour yesterday. I'm not one for the minutia of party politics, but it seems to me there is a distinct similarity between the styles of Corbynites, Curranites and cycle-ites.Time to change. Time to do better.

David Lesniak ● 2192d