Mark
At least someone who is flying IMC and IFR OCAS has the choice and option to icrease their safety by having some form of TICAS.
Lack of LARS is part of the title of the thread which is the decrease in opening times of military RAS and a lack of interest in giving RAS by many Civil units.
This is putting safe seperation in the hands of the pilots.
You mentioned communication which is also very important as is flying correct quadrantal levels to give further seperation.
Ticas can give a false sense of security unless all aircraft flying IMC are transponder equipt that is why it is important that flying in IMC should have a legal requirement for a fully functional transponder.
As for gliders not complying with VFR limits? That is something most of us power pilots accept. Those Gliders tend to stay around glider sites and are usually seen on a good day around the base of clouds especially around the mating season..
We have the ability to stay on top where you rarely meet gliders. By having a ban on in cloud flying by gliders without a transponder C would also mean that aircraft could pass glider sites in IMC and with a decent vertical seperation knowing NO gliders would be there without the potential to be seen on TICAS.
As to gliders not having the ability to fly quadrantal levels? maybe thats something we will have to live with but a lack of transponder is NOT something we should have to live with.
Pace