New Road Charging Scheme

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

I guess you have all heard the news today how the government looks set to go ahead with it's idea of national road charging. I know that at the moment its only a report but they do seem to go on about this idea quite a lot.

I'm sure this thread will have lots of takers. I'll post my opinions in while, but first over to you. Good idea or the most insane suggestion since the Poll Tax?

 

[Blobcat]

A lot more insane than the Poll Tax, completely hatstand

 

[Alfie]

I guess you have all heard the news today how the government looks set to go ahead with it's idea of national road charging. I know that at the moment its only a report but they do seem to go on about this idea quite a lot.

I'm sure this thread will have lots of takers. I'll post my opinions in while, but first over to you. Good idea or the most insane suggestion since the Poll Tax?

Ridiculous.

We pay road Tax already and they dont spend anywhere near the amount collected from it on the roads at all!

Its yet another example of how this government stealth tax us and persecute the motorist just because they are an easy target and there is lots of them.

 

[Blobcat]

Ridiculous.

We pay road Tax already and they dont spend anywhere near the amount collected from it on the roads at all!

Its yet another example of how this government stealth tax us and persecute the motorist just because they are an easy target and there is lots of them.

As I have posted previously the Road Fund Licence was changed to Vehicle Excise Duty solely so that Toll Roads could be introduced.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

The strange thing is, the Author of the report (the ex-head of BA) says that there should be no large scale increase in spending on existing transport....other than Heathrow Airport. Funny that, doesn't sound like any kind of bias at all.

 

[Myros]

It was Churchill

who first removed the ring-fence on Road Fund Licence money being spent solely on the roads. A downward spiral ever since, imo.
It's been Vehicle Excise Duty for at least 15 years, if not more.

 

[Silver Arrow]

Yes:
The Road Fund managed to build the Motorways with a lot fewer cars on the road.
If it was an environmental thing then fuel duty works as a road price mechanism with a lot less admin overhead.
If we want to discourage specific routes at chosen times, then a toll system doesn't need all the massive overheads our cerebral leaders are rushing towards.
But then we wouldn't be able to have a citizen tracking system paid for by the soft targets of us motorists.
Cynical?

 

[Flying Scot]

How about some public exposure of the figures of revenue raised from fuel tax and vehicle excise duites and the amount of money spent on our roads. The FOIA must allow someone to do that surely what are the AA & RAC and all the other motoring organisations doing sitting on their hands and in a very silent way too

 

[jberks]

As I've said before. Imbecilic politicians travel by train (1st class and paid for) when they need to go anywhere. Other than that, they live in the westminster village. As a result, they are wholly out of touch and only understand traffic via statistics. Factor in tha tthis 'study' was commisioned by Gordon "stalin" brown and it's pretty obvious that its a poorly veiled attempt to raise some extra revenue by hitting a non trendy target and avoiding upsetting their friends in Notting Hill who don't drive anyway.

Oddly, I've just started a new job in my home town after 2 years of cross pennine commutes. When I went to Manchester, there was no feasible public transport method available, so rather than sit in traffic, I left the house at 6:30 and only had a small amount of jams when I hit Manchester at 7:30. timed right, the 50 mile journey was 1 hour dead.
Now in Leeds I do 5 miles. On monday it took 1 hour door to door!
Ok congestion is a nightmare but firstly I'm trying different routes and times (took 20 mins this morning leaving at 9:15 and avoiding the ring road) and assuming it all went TU and I couldn't find a way round it, I am considering using a bus!

That's right, Mr J.B.Petrol Head would leave his merc parked up and take the bus! Why? - If it takes 1hr, so 22mpg even in my diesel, plus £10 per day to park, against 20 mins and £3 return by bus and if the bus was reliable, I could actually do it. I did a few years ago, having to commute to central Manchester, 2 hours and hassle by car so I took the train. It got me to within 3 mins of the office and when on time, worked well.

My point is that we don't need any changes, if the politicians would simply stop fiddling the problem will sort itself out. Those of us that can, will realise that public transport is better and switch, those that can't will get to work ok and as people switch out, or else work more flexible hours, the public transport firms will realise that there are customers out there and improve their services accordingly. Sure, there will always be those who prefer jams to busses - well good luck to them.

My new job appears to allow me to work from home a lot more too, so I'll be clogging up the roads even less, so how about promoting remote working? Tax relief on broadband and laptops when used for home working for example? Employer's NI credits for firms that can show they are encouraging working from home and flexitime etc.

No, this is Gordons latest cash grab, nothing more. But then the man is a moron anyway. Anyone whose had any involvement in Government IT knows for a fact that the cost of implementing such an incredibly complex system is so vast that it would swallow all the revenue generated plus a whole lot more. Tracking several million cars in real time, to specific road and time level (how often does your tomtom have you on the wrong road!), cross referencing owners, dealing with appeals, billing, actually getting the money, handing the complex billing rates (road is £1 per mile then switches to 25p and you're driving across the changeover, and then turn off etc etc) - it's a programmers nightmare normally but this involves vested interests and politicians - it will never happen!

I just checked the BBC web site, they have a 'poll'. 72% are against (I assume the 23% for don't drive or are OAPs) so it's about as popular as the poll tax!

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

I think in this case the government "claims" this is to do with environmental issues and cutting down on traffic jams so they would use that as a reason not to release those figures.

They are probably right, it probably would reduce congestion but at what price. I feel it would be like moving back to the middle ages where no one ever travelled more than about 5 miles from their village.

 

[Silver Arrow]

Unfortunately in our 'democratic' society, our 'me too' political parties all think that it is a good idea.
Although the lucky recipients of the Westminster Gravy Train claim that the rest of us vote for them, in reality most of us tend to vote against those we consider to be the more distasteful.

Flying Scot has the right idea, we should all pressure the RAC or AA to get the financial data of where our money goes publicised.

 

[BarryG]

They have confirmed the smoking ban for !st July 2007 in public places. When this come into force there is going to be a huge shortfall from alcohol and tobacco duties . Wonder where they are going to make up these taxes from?

 

[Flying Scot]

Unfortunately in our 'democratic' society, our 'me too' political parties all think that it is a good idea.
Although the lucky recipients of the Westminster Gravy Train claim that the rest of us vote for them, in reality most of us tend to vote against those we consider to be the more distasteful.

Flying Scot has the right idea, we should all pressure the RAC or AA to get the financial data of where our money goes publicised.

THERE YOU GO

AA

http://www.theaa.com/aboutaa/contact.html

http://www.theaa.com/aboutaa/press-office.html

sadly the RAC are not willing to discose their email addresses you need to fill out a form in their site

http://www.rac.co.uk/web/contactus/

if someone wants to draw up a 'good' draft letter perhaps we could all take the time to send it to these people a Word doc or RTF he he

Also we should think about which clowns in government/opposition/and others he he we need to send it too and get their email addresses as well and fill up their inboxes.

 

[stats007]

I'm all for it PROVIDED:

Tax is removed from fuel.
VED is abolished.

 

[Silver Arrow]

I'm all for it PROVIDED:

Tax is removed from fuel.
VED is abolished.


In that improbable case, I would come out on top. (Too many taxed motors).
BUT the authorities argue that VED is needed to keep track of owners!

 

[stats007]

What's a V5C for then?

 

[Silver Arrow]

You are being far too logical.

VED is collected every year (or six months) or SORNed.
This needs an army of bureaucrats, paid for from the proceeds. Such savings would result in many redundancies and out of work civil servants.
The V5 is only updated when ownership changes.
This wouldn't need such an expensive computer system to be maintained.

Now Road Pricing however..........

 

[stats007]

Ah yes - civil servants doing busy work.

 

[mlc]

Three comments:

I liked the Poll Tax, it cut my "local tax" in half over night, but it was before we had the kids.

I already pay per mile car taxaition, its called fuel duty, and its ****** expensive!

Final one: Surely this policy from any party would make them unelectable. I for one would vote socialist worker or National Front if they were the only ones that promised to revoke such a stupid law.

I personally think that it hasnt got a hope in hell of happening in my life time, although other cities will follow the london example, but thats simply a revenue stream.

Mark

 

[cobra427]

No doubt 2010 Mercs will have the 'Payasyougomatic' option complete with a coin/credit car slot in the dash.

Strangely enough, it'll be one of Merc's most expensive options.....