Road charge plan

[BillyC]

I think paying extra via Fuel Duty is the fairest system...

.... it's also the system that is most likely to drive away foreign tourism, as well as increase the number of foreign lorries on our roads - and there's already too many of them!

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Your maths aint that far off and you are right.The reason they dont do it that way is it doesnt give them the control and power of surveillance they so desperately crave.The one thing that typifies those in power everywhere is that they seek power.This gives them knowledge/information about us and that is real power.Taxing fuel may give them the money,but not the real control they want.
Imho this system would only be acceptable if we had privacy rights to prevent the information gathered being used for any other purpose but that aint gonna happen.

To paraphrase Douglas Adams, power should at all costs be kept from those that seek it!

[Biker Biggles]

Douglas Adams,George Orwell,you got the idea.They have allways known a great deal about us but now they have the technology to collate it all and we are powerless to stop them.Emigration anyone?

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Imho this system would only be acceptable if we had privacy rights to prevent the information gathered being used for any other purpose but that aint gonna happen.

Absolutely. That would be OK, especially if there was a new law that stated that the info gathered could not be used or even mentioned in court other than for its intended purpose.

Well I would be absolutely stuffed.
I do over 100 miles round trip to work daily, 90% of it on the M25.
Because of our antiquated transport planning system which has been geared towards going in straight lines rather than easily across country, i would have to go into London to get out to the west of Surrey. It would be 2 or 3 changes and would cost a fortune because the quickest (that's a laugh) route would have to take me in to London, and this is coupled with a couple of changes also.
Financially, at the rates (scaremongoring it might be) they have mentioned, I would be better of jacking the job in and working in Macdonalds (after selling the house which I couldn't afford any more).
I know the bike is an option for commuting, and I use it a couple of days a week during the warmer climate, but believe me, I don't think I could manage every day of the year on that bloody road.
Oh, and they would charge Bikers - there is no way they would let that revenue slip from their grasp if many people adopted Bikes as their transport.

A lot of the chat in the news will be scaremongering... even the government aren't so stupid as to make millions of taxpayers/voters unemployed overnight, which is what would happen if they suddenly introduced charges that meant people couldn't afford to go to work.

It'll be interesting to see how it pans out, and naturally I'm hoping that bikes will be exempt (virtually no contribution to congestion so why should they be affected? - maybe it'll just mean less crowded roads and cheaper fuel for us... or maybe that's just wishful thinking!). Last week in London, with half-term on at the schools, the roads were wonderful, so maybe the charge would be good for getting rid of some of the traffic.

The whole thing kinda stinks though - seems largely aimed at benefitting rich toffs in country areas, plus the biggest losers will be high-mileage efficient cars, which will get a big increase in cost, whilst the low-mileage gas guzzlers won't be as badly affected (the school run people, etc. which this should really be targeting)

Be afraid - be very afraid.

This technology will allow 'big brother' to track every vehicle in the UK. They will know EXACTLY which roads you travelled and EXACTLY what speed you were doing and when.

Just add the (already available) database of all the speed limits in the UK and voila! - no more expensive Gatsos required. Hook it all up to a large printer/enclosing machine and watch your driving licence disappear before your very eyes.

Oppose this nonsense at every opportunity - you didn't seriously think you were going to get away with paying less for the 'privilege' of using the UK's roads did you?

[Biker Biggles]

howardr.
After being chastised on the bad thing thread you now have the front to come on here and make me even more paranoid than I was already.
Its just a shame you are absolutly right.

Paranoid?

So that's what they're saying about me now, is it?!

Thanks for your words of wisdom on 'the other matter'. The reason I started it was to try and get some closure ...

Originally Posted by howardr

This technology will allow 'big brother' to track every vehicle in the UK. They will know EXACTLY which roads you travelled and EXACTLY what speed you were doing and when.

It's worse than that. They'll think that they know these things, and (given previous evidence) they'll refuse to believe that they are wrong, or that their system isn't foolproof and 100% accurate.

Them: You were driving that road when the hit & run biker killed that old lady.

You: No I wasn't, I was at home watching telly.

Them: Don't give us that crap sonny, the computer told us so, you're nicked.