>The BWMA is playing down this change by whining about how much bigger the UK is >population wise compared to Eire and if anything, the UK imperial usage will be >more a thorn in Eire's side then in the reverse.
They do have a point about the relative size. The population of the Irish Republic is about 4 million, compared to 60 million for the UK. It is more psychological than practical. Ireland joins Malta and Cyprus as EU countries that drive on the left, but use metric signs and instruments. As far as I know, this leaves the UK as the only country in the world driving on the left that uses non-metric units (just as the US is the only country in the world driving on the right that does so).. >The success of the Eire conversion may make it easier to amend >the UK laws to allow metric and thus destroying groups like AIM and hopefully >bring about conversion before 2010. There are a couple of ways it will help: * It will focus people's attention on the issue (many British people trave to Ireland and vice versa). * Barring a total mishandling here in January, it should expose the argument predicting huge increases in accidents during the changeover as bogus (as it was shown to be in Canada and Australia). However, apart from Northern Ireland, the impact of the change on the UK as a whole will be minimal. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Wade | EMail: tee dot wade at eurokom dot ie EuroKom | X400: g=tom;s=wade;o=eurokom;p=eurokom; Unit A2 | a=eirmail400;c=ie Nutgrove Office Park | Tel: +353 (1) 296-9696 Rathfarnham | Fax: +353 (1) 296-9697 Dublin 14 | Disclaimer: This is not a disclaimer Ireland | Tip: "Friends don't let friends do Unix !"
