Road Pricing

[SammyTheSnake]

If we make the (probably false) assumption that the government is only looking at ways of charging the same amount of tax, but in different ways, I'd say the discussion is well overdue. Taxing those who spend more time on the roads, especially very congested ones, is a sensible (though predictable) way to encourage them to find alternatives where possible. These alternatives, however, must be available and practical. The trains are a brilliant object example of how to make an excellent idea unworkable (they're putting up the ticket prices *AGAIN*) Some cities are starting to make this work, with out of town car parks served by Park & Ride busses, or even trains. I'd like to see much more of this.

Regarding putting all the tax on the fuel, I think this'd just lead to more people raiding the local chippy to fill up their diesels. (Which I intend to do if I ever get one!) I also think that taxing bio-fuels is mad, they don't on the continent.

I think the major single cause of horrible congestion, however, is that waaaay too much business is conducted in cities, and more particularly, London. Why on earth should people commute from the countryside to the city to do a job that could as easily be done from home? Why should offices be in a city, rather than just off a motorway with a bus route, but not in the middle of a congestion hot-spot? Granted, it wouldn't work for every job, but 99% of what's done in cities is office work, where the location is neither here nor there, business wise.

Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

[Porker]

Please do not make the mistake of thinking that Road Charging has anything to do with tackling congestion. It is about tax revenue and control.

This government has increased the total tax burden on the UK from about £220 billion in 1996 to over £480 billion in 2006. That's about £4,300 for every person in the UK. Don't forget that many of the population are not taxpayers, so the individual burden for those who are is correspondingly greater.

And they still feel they need more.

Road charging is a neat way of gathering more tax while spending less on road infrastructure.

[nuster100]

Hear Hear!!!

[Nigel]

And a hear hear from me as well.

I need my hand tools, scope, computer, interfaces, and spares.

I also don't want to travel on public transport, I want to travel in my own air conditioned car, listen to what I want on the radio, smoke when I want to smoke, and I don't want to be around others I don't know.

Imagine I get a call out to Liverpool tonight, what use is public transport ?

[martine]

Who can not agree with the failings of PT. Where PT is good, it can be very good but it has limitations. Fast, clean, efficient, frequent buses/trams/trains for commuting into a hub do work. For people like Nuster and Nigel a more flexible transport system (car/bike) is essential.

Back to the main question...if road pricing were tax-neutral who would be in favour of it?

(I'd do a poll but it seems I don't have the permissions or something).

[Nigel]

I'll try and do you a poll...if I have the correct permissions.

How can it be tax neutral ? Everything this stupid government do ends up costing us.

[Nigel]

Done it, but added a doubting thomas catergory of my own

[PeteG]

PT is indeed workable. Quite often, should I be travelling to Durham, I'll take the bus for a fiver, rather than pay the fiver to park, plus petrol (about a 35 mile round trip-ish, I thnk). If I feel like driving, I'll take an interesting route, but the quickest roads are dull as dishwater. and if I'm going with mates, rather than meeting someone there, I'll drive - convenience.
The busses that run are brand-new, clean (gasp!), and theres very little chew from other passengers.
However, I'll always drive and park at my local town centre, because the busses are ancient and cramped, and my fish and chips will either get spat in or stolen by other passengers...

[Nigel]

So there you go Pete, it can work for you.

Good luck.

It doesn't work for me, so road pricing is just going to cost me more, which I'll pass onto my customers, and you'll end up paying it when you buy a product they make.

Your not doing anything good by ancouraging extra taxation.

[nuster100]

Ditto, my costs go up = My callout fee goes up.

Then I get moaned at for the price hike.

Thats before the government nicks a 1/3 of my earnings.

Jay

[PeteG]

So there you go Pete, it can work for you.

Ah, it can work... most of the time, it doesn't. If I want to get to and from work, there's no busses that run to the retail park even during the day, so I'd have to do a chicken run across the A66 flyover, after walking a half mile round in a loop to get onto it...
Road charging is not the answer. When it comes in, I'm off. Simple as that.

[7db]

Road charging is not the answer. When it comes in, I'm off. Simple as that.

No you won't be. You'll sit and bear it like everyone else on every other tax hike.