...what about bringing Britain and Ireland in line with the rest Europe by starting to drive on the right ?

First of all it's an enormous waste to produce two versions of the same car and secondly, WE PAY AN AWFUL LOT MORE FOR OUR CAR because
1) we can't import cars straight from the continent (the States or elsewhere)
2) we can't benefit from any kind of scaling-up, which would make our car a whole lot cheaper.

How do you mean, "scaling up"?

The reason cars in this country are more expensive than in Europe has nothing to do with whether steering is on right or left it is a combination of manufacturers margins,dealership restrictions,govt taxes e.g Vat ,fuel tax(new cars are loaded on car transporters to be carried all over the country ) the fact we are an island (delivery charges from continent are expensive) etc.
Cars today are designed to be just as easy to assemble whichever way round they are and most parts fit either type of car so economies of scale are actually maximised.
Also bear in mind the most efficient car producers in the world the Japanese drive on the same side as us yet this has not stopped their world wide success.Today with Nissan (now French owned),Toyota and Honda being produced here they provide major benefits to the UK economy from being exported throughout Europe.Honda for example is the most efficient factory in Europe in terms of output per worker.

The cost of any changeover would be horrendous - and it would have to be overnight.

However, it woudl not be difficult for the EU to pass regulations requiring that as part of a car type approval scheme, the manufacturer should be able to demonstrate how to convert a car from left-hand drive to rightg-hand drive and vice-versa using standard parts which cost no more than 1% of the car's list price.

Two years ago, when I was in Germany, I was looking into buying a new car. There was a supplement of about £400 on a VW GOlf if I wanted a right-hand drive vehicle.

On the topic of left/right hand drive cars, we should expect to see more rught-hand drive cars with km/h speedometers in the near future as Ireland is converting her speed restriction signs to km/h and inevitiably cars form the Republic will end up in the UK.

According to a well-placed mole at the heart of government, converting our road signs to kilometres and metres will take place in 2011, with the U.K. switching over to driving on the right in 2023. This will boost the profits of car manufacturers and be welcomed by all those who would standardardise us and want to eradicate national differences.

I expect readers of this message will be sceptical, but I pass it on nevertheless

Can I confirm that Conrad is talking out of his favourite organ again?

Tony, what makes you think that Britain will switch over to driving on the right in 2023 ?
You cannot possibly know which party will be in power then !

In 2023 what will be the main mode of travel?

Will we still be using combustion engined road based petrol burners?

Or will america start driving on the (natural) left?

Conrad,

You make a good point about which party will be in control in 2023.

But the really important decisions are made by more powerful people behind the scenes.

Metrication is a classic case, where the drive to metricate has been led by senior civil servants - who have pushed governments of both the main parties to implement metrication (though there was some resistance by the Conservatives in the 1980s).

European integration is another example. It doesn't matter which party is in power, nor for that matter what the peoples of Europe think about it, that will proceed remorselessly.

It was Benjamin Disraeli back in the 1870s who said: "The world is governed by very different personages from those that the people think wield power".

A group of people, somewhere, have decided that our road signs will be changed and that we will drive on the right. The implementation of their agenda may be delayed, but they continue to work on it.

Some of the most powerful people in the world are working to steadily reduce the influence and power of indivudual nation-states, preparatory to introducing a government of the whole world. You may think this is paranoid conspiracy theory. All I can say is - watch events unfold in this direction

How did you come by this information?

I actually agree with you here, Tony.
The world is not ruled by politicians, but smart people in the open industry, who are (of course) not subject to election.

Ralf

What like European Commissioners?

(need to reset the trap now...)