Campaign to protect New Forest ponies (From Daily Echo)
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Campaign to protect New Forest ponies
11:58am Friday 3rd August 2012 in New Forest
New Forest Ponies
A NEW campaign aims to cut the number of ponies killed in accidents on two of the most dangerous roads in the New Forest .
One of the tour buses that operate in the area has been decorated with an image of animals at sunset accompanied by the slogan: “Ponies don’t dent, they die.”
The district has seen fewer accidents in recent years but a large number of collisions are continuing to occur on the B3078 and B3079.
Last year 46 animals were killed or injured in the Bramshaw and Godshill area, bucking the trend witnessed in other parts of the Forest.
All the ponies are owned by people known as commoners – villagers with the right to let their animals roam the landscape.
Graham Ferris, chairman of the Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA), said: “The animals are vital to the New Forest since their grazing keeps it the way we’ve all come to appreciate.
“The animals have the right of way and don’t understand that cars are dangerous.”
Nigel Matthews, community and visitor services manager at the National Park Authority (NPA), added: “This year has got off to a good start.
“The number of animal accidents across the open forest by the end of June was only 40, compared to 64 in the same period last year.
“However, we want to remind drivers in the north to be careful. Animals are on the road day and night.”
The new image, captured by photographer Mike Read, is emblazoned across one of the double-deckers that operate the New Forest Tour. It reflects the fact that many of the accidents occur at sunset.
Bournemouth schoolboy Oliver Smith, 14, who devised the accompanying slogan, attended the unveiling of the new-look bus.
Comments(15)
andysaints007
says...
12:50pm Fri 3 Aug 12
hulla baloo wrote:What - like yours - boring
Regurgitated story, yet again. And now waits for the same regurgitated responses.
andysaints007
says...
12:50pm Fri 3 Aug 12
hulla baloo wrote:What - like yours - boring
Regurgitated story, yet again. And now waits for the same regurgitated responses.
acid drop
says...
12:59pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Tottonion
says...
1:08pm Fri 3 Aug 12
hulla baloo
says...
1:08pm Fri 3 Aug 12
andysaints007 wrote:And seeing the same comment twice is also boring. ;)
hulla baloo wrote:What - like yours - boring
Regurgitated story, yet again. And now waits for the same regurgitated responses.
bigfella777
says...
1:18pm Fri 3 Aug 12
andysaints007
says...
1:25pm Fri 3 Aug 12
hulla baloo wrote:Mine was a mistake though - what's your excuse for being less exciting than watching paint dry ;-)
andysaints007 wrote:And seeing the same comment twice is also boring. ;)
hulla baloo wrote:What - like yours - boring
Regurgitated story, yet again. And now waits for the same regurgitated responses.
Torchie1
says...
2:18pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Higginz
says...
3:37pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Torchie1 wrote:I'd use the minor convenience wisely. Hang back a bit, soak in the natural beauty of the area, play a bit of Floyd.
The Tour Bus carrying the message is the same one that dribbles along at twenty to twenty five MPH with a long queue of frustrated motorists behind waiting to get past.
Georgem
says...
3:55pm Fri 3 Aug 12
andysaints007 wrote:He has very exciting paint?
hulla baloo wrote:Mine was a mistake though - what's your excuse for being less exciting than watching paint dry ;-)
andysaints007 wrote:And seeing the same comment twice is also boring. ;)
hulla baloo wrote:What - like yours - boring
Regurgitated story, yet again. And now waits for the same regurgitated responses.
Torchie1
says...
4:17pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Higginz wrote:It's a lot more fun to use the bus as a mobile chicane with a Deep Purple track blasting out.
Torchie1 wrote:I'd use the minor convenience wisely. Hang back a bit, soak in the natural beauty of the area, play a bit of Floyd.
The Tour Bus carrying the message is the same one that dribbles along at twenty to twenty five MPH with a long queue of frustrated motorists behind waiting to get past.
freefinker
says...
6:09pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Tottonion wrote:.. ah, a 'proven fact'
It is a proven fact that most drivers that speed in the New Forest are the locals that demanded the low speed limits in the first place. Why not have more policing of these roads or better still fence them and build underpasses.
Do you know of any unproven facts?
Torchie1
says...
6:11pm Fri 3 Aug 12
freefinker wrote:Have you heard of Southy?
Tottonion wrote:.. ah, a 'proven fact'
It is a proven fact that most drivers that speed in the New Forest are the locals that demanded the low speed limits in the first place. Why not have more policing of these roads or better still fence them and build underpasses.
Do you know of any unproven facts?
windyboy
says...
9:41pm Fri 3 Aug 12
Torchie1 wrote:"Speedking" would seem fitting
Higginz wrote:It's a lot more fun to use the bus as a mobile chicane with a Deep Purple track blasting out.
Torchie1 wrote:I'd use the minor convenience wisely. Hang back a bit, soak in the natural beauty of the area, play a bit of Floyd.
The Tour Bus carrying the message is the same one that dribbles along at twenty to twenty five MPH with a long queue of frustrated motorists behind waiting to get past.
hulla baloo says...
12:31pm Fri 3 Aug 12