Road Pricing
 

We have been bombarded with recent reports saying charging to use the roads is the only way to stop congestion so I guess its looming, probably with GPS tracking for the Xtra big Brother effect

We already pay through three quarters of the price of fuel being tax, road tax itself, tax on insurance etc :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

It seemed to make sense the other day when some said the problem isn't too many vehicles on the road it's too many vehicles going to the same place, i.e. big business centres, out of town shopping centres, big mega schools in towns etc

Time for a double dose of me tablets:eek:

Ray

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6160877.stm

"Motorists should pay charges to drive on the road network, a key government-backed report recommends."

...I thought we already did?!?

I haven't got a problem with this, if they scrap road tax and simply add a few pence to the price of a gallon of fuel, you simply pay for the fuel you use which in 99.9% of cases will be on the roads, plus this also has a green affect that people with gas guzzlers will take more of a hit than someone driving a 1 litre Micra

I am with you on this!

I agree with that 100% if the do abolish road tax.....but i can see "them" gradually scaling road tax back in or back up to its orginal cost after a few months or years...adding the cost to the fuel has to be the easiest and fairest way to acheive the increase in revenue thay so obviously desire.

However i think if they charge per mile...surely it will almost destroy the tourism industry ! and the biking scene...!

Pay for your car to drive to work
Pay for your car on the weekends
Pay for your bike if used week nights and weekends in the summer.!

The Public transport infrastucture simply does not exist for the majority of us to dump our cars for the work commute..!

Can you imagine the rise in suburbia and city living cost, as those that dont want or cant afford to pay per mile to travel to work move back to the burbs and city.?...all those that have to move out of the citys to afford a house will now have to pay more to travel to work.?

Would you as a tourist travel in a country where you payed per mile to travel.!?

i simply cant see how the ordinary joe public could afford 2 cars and the social side of biking.?.......

It could spell the end of social biking as we know it...when the BHC lads do a run its 200 miles plus....at the mooted 12p of peak thats 32 quid.?..plus fuel....thats almost 60 quid for a 200 mile ride out..???

Forget raid the lakes ..LOL..or tpt to race weekends....

madness

I saw this on the news this morning and have to say that it brings back memories of the poll tax.

I can see no way that they can collect the money unless they put it on fuel and collect it at source.

If they do it via cameras, then look at the billing and debt recovery costs that they are going to incurr.

As someone who actually owns a 1.0 Micra, that does over 50 to the gallon even when thrashed within an inch of its life, it wont be too bad. However my Jaguar that does 19 on a good day is going to spend even more time parked!

I'd vote for abolishing road tax every time for a little more tax on Fuel, it really is the sensible solution to replace road tax. The only slight drawback is it that "taxes" you the same for using uncongested roads as well as the congested ones. Road tax has been in place for eons and this option has never been taken up.

The sensible solutions never get put in place, the govt are wanting to target specific congested roads or areas, much like the Congestion charge in London and the scheme that got booted out in Edinburgh and that is gonna mean a "solution" of ANPR as in London, GPS tracking or some sort of smart card.

We are maybe a way off wodespread road charging but the softening up process is already well underway.

Ray.

And don't forget one of the knock on effects - your plumber/electrician/gasman/alarm engineer/etc will charge you more to recover the cost - just as we do for congestion charging. Our London customers pay a higher price already!!

How will pay per mile stop congestion in the week.?...................

I think the idea is to make cars more expensive than public transport...... that said the inner ring road in London is now a total nightmare with people avoiding the charge. So its quicker to cut through and pay..........

Not that road pricing will change anything - its just another form of stealth tax.................... Grrrrrrrrrr