Toby Falla: Five things I'd change about Guernsey

Friday 28 September 2018

Toby Falla is a name to watch...or to listen out for...as the young musician is making his mark on the world, but he still returns to Guernsey regularly to perform here too.

In between his recent gigs back home, we asked Toby what five things he'd change about Guernsey?

1. Bins system

I think the idea behind it is great and I think trying to make a greener planet and encourage recycling is a great thing, but I don't think the new system works at all. 

Firstly there are so many different sections to doing the bins, and they've now introduced the new food waste bin - so you have to put that into a separate little bin in the kitchen and you have another bin, and you have the recycling which has to be separated, so it's quite a puzzle to try and get everything in the right bins in the first place, but then they pick up recycling and the other black bins in fortnightly schedules, so every two weeks, and if you miss it or you're not sure which week it's on, you have to wait another two weeks and it will all back up and there'll be rubbish everywhere.

The idea behind it is great and I understand why and if you're a bit more organised maybe you'll get your head around it, but the thing I really don't agree with and I think is really quite awful, is that we've been given this new rule with bins and then we're being charged on top. It's not even one charge, as it's a charge to have the bins picked up and it's a charge to buy the bin stickers and the bags to put in the bin and they seem to be charging for literally everything they can get their hands on so I really disagree with that and I would change that.

If we need the extra bins, if the food waste thing is required, then I think we could stick with that,  but I really wouldn't charge. A family with four kids are going to pay more overall and so I would take away the extra costs for rubbish. 

Pictured: Guernsey's new waste strategy continues to cause concern.

2. Speed limits

Traffic in Guernsey has increased massively over the last few years and rush hour in town between half past four and six o'clock, it can take you about 45 minutes to just get out of town. The increase in the number of cars too, it's all slowing us down - so reducing speed limits to 25mph on 80 roads is just not going to work.

The argument would be that it's safer, but I think it will actually do the opposite, because you'll be aggravating people by slowing the speed when there's no need for it. I think it's going to encourage them to take chances and take risks on the roads.

There are one or two roads on the coast, where I think the speed limit could be increased from 35. That's not essential but I think it could be increased.

Pictured: Will more roads be reduced to 25mph rather than the current top speed of 35? 

3. Parking in town.

There is an increase in cars and the population of Guernsey, so you have to have somewhere to put them..so losing car parking spaces, like we did at the Harbour a few years ago, you have to find them somewhere else. You can't just lose them?

There aren't enough ten hour spaces for people who work in town. There are enough one, two and three hour spaces I guess, but in terms of the number of people who work in town, they need a parking space for long enough so they don't get fined.

So we need to find more parking spaces for people who work in town and need to park.

Pictured: Parking spaces at Salerie Corner.

4. The inter island quay

I don't think the inter island quay is being well used. With Herm and Sark boats and others all using it, when it's busy it just doesn't work. We're not talking a handful of passenger, it can be boats full - a lot of people are unloading, and as well as people coming off the boat, there are people trying to get on, and there is only that one way on or off. You can't get two people going past each other. It can be impossible and it can be very frustrating.

My mum has a seasonal tent in Herm so I quite regularly load and unload the boat, with some quite heavy equipment at times so I go across to help her carry it. The quay will float to whatever height the tide is but when it is low tide it is really steep and difficult to manoeuvre with heavy goods. And when I'm going up it, no one can come down it and it means people can be waiting quite a while, so I don't think it works. 

The bottom of the ramp also has a lip on it, so the trolleys which are provided to move heavy equipment don't go over it. That doesn't work either. Surely that could be fixed easily to make it easier for people travelling between the islands?

Pictured: The inter island quay. 

5. Inter island links.

I recently wanted to send my guitar to be fixed in Jersey, but it couldn't go directly there so I had to send it via the UK. For the Channel Islands which are just a few miles away from each other, that seems crazy. 

So, I would improve communications and transport links between the islands. Shipping and direct contact and communications can all be improved and would surely make life easier for many people. I mean mainly with Jersey, but there have been problems with links with Alderney too in the past.

I'm very proud of Guernsey, but all of our islands are important to me too so I think it's very important that we make it very easy to access and get to all of the islands. 

Pictured: Toby thinks we need better links with Jersey and the rest of the Bailiwick too.