So then...Road pricing

[Luckypants]

The ideal solution is to invest in public transport and get it working correctly as a public service. The only way to do that might be to nationalise it, but that did not work in the past.

Give folks the service they want, when they want it and at a competitive price and they will use it. Unfortunately, the governments idea to make public transport competitive is to make cars too expensive to use rather than public transport cheap.

I am deeply suspicious of the whole road pricing idea, since this government is always looking for ways to get more cash off us in ways that are not direct taxes, so "don't count" in the tax burden for statistics. I feel this is a way to hit the road user for even more money. The government is happy for this FUD to continue, so they cannot be challenged on specifics and refute all criticisms as misinformation.

One thing I ask, if we are doing all this 'help improve' carbon emissions are all the other countries outside the EU doing the same? Or they see use improve ours and thinking... There's another 50,000 tons of CO2 we can pump out as the UK's just cleaned up.

Am I being cynical?

its going to cost £6billion to set up... i wonder where that'll come from?! If bikes are taxed like this my shiny k6 will have to go back. I'll have no chance of being able to afford to run it.
My mine gripe with public transport - the people on it. i'd think otherwise if i could sit there relaxed - undisturbed - not listening to some chav playing tunes through the speaker on their phone - and could get my laptop out in safety

Well I cured my problem myself, I found a job which was within walking distance from home

However, more to the point, and to back up a few things that have already been said:

The public transport system in this country is pants. BEFORE you can charge people for using private vehicles you MUST have efficient, clean reliable public transport that runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

If I need to see a customer in say Nottingham, I have to get to the station that's 2 buses, 30 minutes (5 minutes by car) take a train to Paddington, take the tube to Euston or Kings Cross and then a train to Bradford. I then need to get from the station to the customer, while carrying a laptop and a projector. I reckon that's at least 3-4 hours each way. In the car I can get there in under 3 hours and call in at another site on the way back.

In the digital age with wifi and broadband it is more economical for people to work at home more often. I would like to get any team I manage together about once a week, but other than that I have no issues with people working from home, it works...

So, when people come up with a viable alternative I'll start to listen....

.

What's my way to solve road taxing? Hmm. Think outside the box folks!

Road taxing gets introduced, I'll emmigrate (I want to anyway, and I have the opportunity pretty much any time I want), but there are certain things preventing that at the moment.

The more the govt do to tax people, the more reason I'll have to go, and the more the balance will be shifted. As things stand, it's only 55-60% that I'll still be in the UK in 5 years time anyway.

One less person to pay road tax

Originally Posted by Grinch

One thing I ask, if we are doing all this 'help improve' carbon emissions are all the other countries outside the EU doing the same? Or they see use improve ours and thinking... There's another 50,000 tons of CO2 we can pump out as the UK's just cleaned up.

Am I being cynical?

No you're not. Countries such as India and China have no regard to the muck they put into the atmosphere. Why do we have to be the guinea pigs. I'm deeply suspicious of all this climate change stuff, and as if taxing people to death will solve it. All this air passenger tax (£40 for an international flight outside the EU) is supposed to curb demand. Oh really?

It's liberal claptrap. OK so I don't have a better answer but I'm not paid to dream up new scams.

Did see a rather cool program last night on BB2 about ways to collect more CO2... like the idea of using Uriea to boost the planton levels in 'desert' sea areas as it seemed the most 'natural'.

I'd start a campaign trying to educate people and companies about not needing to work in London or other major cities. Most of them don't need to be there.

[timwilky]

As a company, we have a form that must be completed to request authorisation to travel. At the bottom there is a section that must be completed to explain why a video conferance cannot replace the travel.

It is amazing how I can work, using simple application shaing so my boss can see my presentations/spreadsheets etc when he is in Paris and I am sat in the loft.

I'd go for taxing the roads in another way, one that wouldn't cost anything to set up. One that you would have to pay for how many miles you go, which also factors in how efficient your vehicle is. I know it's a bit of a controversial idea, but...

How about putting tax on petrol?

Oh, wait...