Goverment Petition: Stop Road Charging Schemes

[glade]

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Scrap the planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy.

The idea of tracking every vehicle at all times is sinister and wrong. Road pricing is already here with the high level of taxation on fuel. The more you travel - the more tax you pay.

It will be an unfair tax on those who live apart from families and poorer people who will not be able to afford the high monthly costs.

Please Mr Blair - forget about road pricing and concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion.

its a good idea but i think Mr Blair has his mind on making some money.

[northwind]

Most studies show that poorer people and people who don't use cars much will be better off, since the by-the-mile schemes would replace road tax.

I still agree entirely with the goals here though... Tracking's not something I want to see, and as was pointed out petrol taxation achieves exactly the same thing without the huge iunfrastrructure investment and big brother elements, and also rewards people who use economic cars. You can't drive without burnign fuel after all.

Originally Posted by northwind

Most studies show that poorer people and people who don't use cars much will be better off, since the by-the-mile schemes would replace road tax.

I still agree entirely with the goals here though... Tracking's not something I want to see, and as was pointed out petrol taxation achieves exactly the same thing without the huge iunfrastrructure investment and big brother elements, and also rewards people who use economic cars. You can't drive without burnign fuel after all.

i agree with you northwind, if they scrapped road tax, and put it on fuel, those who drive more, and use uneconomical cars, will have to pay more for the upkeep of said roads (in theory). But id want to see a break down of the cost of fuel, before and after the road tax was included. it would prob only be a penny on fuel anyway

[glade]

I personally don't think an online petition will do much good, but every little helps eh?

I read something recently about insurance companies starting to introduce the black boxes in cars effectively meaning they know where you are, when, what speed you were doing etc etc. Some would say so long as you never speed then you're fine... But that removes the choice of driving as appropriate to the conditions and turns everyone into robots.

'but you don't have to have a black box'... yet. Its only a matter of time before they're standard fit items and insurance premiums for non-black boxes will start to rise.

I just think the motorist is just an easy target, (well those that buy car tax and insurance, don't get the black boxes chipped/encased in lead etc). I've even come round to thinking that the environmental argument is flawed... because we could invest in more nuclear power instead of coal, but we're decomissioning the nuclear sites, and because the way developing countries like china/india (and of course our old pal USA) are using resources; whatever we do in britian won't make the smallest difference.

Road user charging is about more than just paying for the amount you travel (which is what the tax on petrol delivers), it's about trying to managing increasing levels of congestion. So the sort of schemes they're looking at will be based on where/when you're travelling rather than just mileage.

This has the advantage of going easier on people living in rural areas, where car use is pretty much essential, and being tougher on more congested urban areas during peak times where (in theory) there are other alternatives.

This is very much on the agenda nationwide, and is more of a case of when it happens rather than if - basically they're just waiting for the technology to be proven and someone with the political guts to make the change...

[northwind]

Originally Posted by RizlaSV

Road user charging is about more than just paying for the amount you travel (which is what the tax on petrol delivers), it's about trying to managing increasing levels of congestion. So the sort of schemes they're looking at will be based on where/when you're travelling rather than just mileage.

Ah, the rare valid point

[timwilky]

I see nothing wrong with road charging if

1) they are local and applied purely as a congestion reduction exercise.

However if they are applied as an additional form of tax then who ever proposes them will never be voted into office so it will never happen.

Many people do not have the luxury of public transport or local shops. My parents had a bus service available to them on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

I can use a train to travel from Preston to Knutsford where I work. But the trains are not co-ordinated so I am therefore required to spend 6 hours waiting in Manchester overnight in order to catch the first train to Knutsford. Therefore I have to use a car.


Before any road charging can be introduced. Usable and affordable public transport must exist

[northwind]

I've no problem at all with teh idea of road charging... It's the idea of vehicle tracking that I don't like.

[timwilky]

tracking....when I got my new car back in August I had to get a hands free fitted. The installer told me I had a tracker fitted. Now I didn't order it so did the company or lease company.

I don't like the idea that the company may be able to monitor my movement when I am "Working from Home"