Say One Thing, Do Another

Little sh*ts. I thought the road-pricing scheme was put to bed. Why this government is so intent on setting up more expensive bureaucracy that achieves nothing, I'll never know.

The Telegraph can disclose that the Government is pushing ahead with plans for a national road-pricing scheme, including testing "spy in the sky" technology.

Eight areas of the country have been selected by ministers for secret pay-per-mile trials which will begin in 2010 and are expected to pave the way for tolls on motorways.
Motorists face paying up to £1.30 a mile during peak periods on the busiest roads.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that eight areas - Leeds, North Yorkshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire, south west London, Suffolk and Essex – have been selected for the trials.

Initially, in January 2010, one hundred cars in each area will trial the new technology – in many cases entailing placing black boxes to allow their movements to be tracked - but members of the public will be invited to join the pilots in June 2010.

The Government is close to signing contracts with four companies who will run the national trials, testing not only the technology which will be fitted to the cars, but also the bureaucracy needed to run a system including sending out bills.

In most cases, the trials will involve a satellite tracking a vehicle's movements. Motorists will then receive a monthly or weekly bill which will vary depending on when and where they drove.

Theresa Villiers, the shadow Transport Secretary, said: "It seems that Labour's unpopular plans for a national road pricing scheme are alive and well.
"They are determined to press ahead with their untried and untested spy-in-the-sky national project even though it looks like an IT disaster waiting to happen. Ruth Kelly should start listening to drivers and scrap these pilots for a national road pricing scheme that is unnecessary and unwanted."

The Treasury earmarked millions of pounds for the pilots in the budget and Chancellor Alistair Darling believes the scheme could be crucial in cutting congestion in the long-term.

British motorists already pay some of the highest taxes in the world and with Government finances under severe pressure the pay-as-you-drive scheme could prove a valuable source of extra revenue for the Treasury.

It is understood that there is greater enthusiasm in the Treasury than the Department for Transport for road pricing.
However it is not known if the scheme would entirely replace existing motoring taxes or be introduced on top of them. Ministers have previously pledged cuts in other duties if the scheme is introduced.

The Department for Transport insists that the pilots are designed "to inform thinking about motorway capacity".
When the scheme was first floated by the Blair administration 1.8 million people signed a petition on the Downing Street website calling on the Government to abandon the scheme.

Last night, Peter Roberts, who led the initial protests, said: "If the Government was true to its word and was kicking road pricing into the long grass, why is it running trials?
"Ministers have said that national road pricing is no longer on the agenda. So either they are wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers' money or they are not being honest with voters."
The effectiveness of the charging schemes in cutting congestion has been undermined by the London congestion charge. The £8 a day charge has done little to cut congestion in the capital and other cities are now more sceptical about following London's scheme.

Greater Manchester's congestion scheme will shortly be put to a referendum of voters in the 10 participating council areas. Unless it is backed by a majority of those polled in at least seven local authorities, the scheme will be dropped.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...d-pricing.html

[SoulKiss]

Saw this on the news.

Surely this infringes on our Human Rights with regards to Free Movement?

Also, althought it hasn't stopped them with Duty and VAT on Fuel, surely this is yet another double-tax scam, which surely is also the case with parking charges on public roads?

[the_lone_wolf]

there'll be such a backlash, same as the 10p tax band fiasco, that they'll never implement it

unless of course they're going to be scrapping VED?

[the_lone_wolf]

oh, and protip:

put foil over the black box for free travel

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

oh, and protip:

put foil over the black box for free travel

Which everyone will do....so then there'll be a crime of being out without ID. You'll be questioned for every journey you make.

This isn't a good state of affairs

Well, if Labour carry on deliberately reinforcing their reputation as being overbearing and economic incompetant, they'll hopefully be booted out before they're able to impliment this outrageous scheme.

It anoys me that these idiots seem to think that millions of people join in a gigantic national traffic jam twice daily for a laugh. They themselves can use the roads as much as they like of course, because we pay for their travel. Perhaps that's the governments ultimate goal - price EVERYONE off the roads, then they'll be the only ones who can afford to use them (because they won't be paying).

And the way that this will only tax the people who need to go to work!

The British Government built all of the suburban sprawls; they shouldn't now punish people for having to travel to work from them.

It's all beyond a joke now. Anyone tempted to 'disappear' before we're all in their system?

Originally Posted by SoulKiss

Saw this on the news.

Surely this infringes on our Human Rights with regards to Free Movement?

Not really, as you're still free to walk/catch a bus etc. It's only the method of movement that's restricted, and then only by the size of your wallet.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

oh, and protip:

put foil over the black box for free travel

Good plan, but if they use even half decent GPS gear, that won't work. Now, don't tell anyone to open the box & put tin foil over the back of the PCB... I'll earn a mint doing that (before it's a legal requirement to have the black box officer!!).

If it's going to work, it'll have to be along the lines of the already existing Tracker (used for tracking stolen vehicles). But as evidenced on the .org before, even those can be beaten.

EDIT: Double-taxation? I'd say it's tripple. Fuel tax depending on how much of it you burn, road tax depending on how quickly you burn fuel, and "pay as you drive" for how much of the road you drive on, and at what time.

Originally Posted by Baph

EDIT: Double-taxation? I'd say it's tripple. Fuel tax depending on how much of it you burn, road tax depending on how quickly you burn fuel, and "pay as you drive" for how much of the road you drive on, and at what time.

Add in the income tax paid on your wage, and the tax your employer pays to earn your wage...

[Stu]

with Government finances under severe pressure the pay-as-you-drive scheme could prove a valuable source of extra revenue for the Treasury

It really is amazing if the govt think this is some miracle source of extra revenue It can only come from the general public, why not just be open about it, put up income tax and then everyone can see how sh*te the govt must be at running the public finances.