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Reply With QuoteWhat if you like the idea?Originally Posted by Feelingpink
There is an on-line petition at the 10 Downing Street site asking the PM to scrap a proposed vehicle and road pricing policy. It closes on February 20 - so if you object to the proposed policy, sign up here.
What if you like the idea?
Someone told me there is a petition for those who like the idea ... but funnily enough I don't have the link to that one ....What if you like the idea?
I like the idea of road pricing, assuming that it doesn't mean yet another additional cost (i.e. that it's revenue-neutral).Someone told me there is a petition for those who like the idea ... but funnily enough I don't have the link to that one ....
I don't like the idea of car tracking, it's too obviously open to abuse, and because the government's track record of managing large-scale IT projects is laughable. But road-pricing by itself is generally something I'm in favour of - the whole "pay-as-you-go" idea means that it becomes easier to manage congestion, hopefully, and it's the same as we do with all other transport types (rail, plane etc.).
Road pricing - agree with you - although can't see much difference between that and fuel tax ... but here's the info that was sent with the original link last night:
The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you
having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly
bill to use it.
The tracking device will cost about £200 and in a recent study by the BBC,
the lowest monthly bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school
paid £86 in one month.
On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked. Somebody will
know where you are at all times. They will also know how fast you have
been going, so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit in time you
can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill.
Was about to say the same thing myself FP - surely with taxes on fuel, we are using a pay-as-you-go system, in fact one that is fairer and taxes the more inefficient vehicles more, for a given distance?
Unfortunately I think it will simply come on top of what we already pay on fuel duty
Yeah, but realistically, it'll never get off the ground, it'll be like ID cards - again, the government's hopeless at large IT projects.
Even relatviely sensible and non-controversial projects (Digital TV swithover, NHS system) are going horribly wrong - what are the odds that something like this will ever happen?
Love your optimism about the scheme not getting off the ground ... but at the forefront of my mind is the congestion zone which HAS come into force (know it's a different level of government). Still, perhaps at least if the scheme needs people to buy trackers, there could be a boycott of that ... and signing the petition.
No, because road-pricing is mainly aimed to reduce congestion - the idea is that congestion in itself is a Bad Thing. So it's a traffic-management solution.
Personally, I think the congestion charge has worked well with London, and it should work well in other congested areas if implemented correctly.
The idea of paying more for "in demand" journeys makes sense, that's how Easyjet works after all. Penalising Chelsea Tractor School Run Mums seems like a good idea to me
Agree with that totally!Penalising Chelsea Tractor School Run Mums seems like a good idea to me
There are a few, though none with a comparable number of signatures. This is the most popular one so far (that I've found):Someone told me there is a petition for those who like the idea ... but funnily enough I don't have the link to that one ....
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/TRACK-CARS/
I'm in favour of road pricing. If I take a bus into Worcester rather than clogging up its roads and parking in my car, I want to be saving money by doing the right thing.
The alternative given by the petition FP links, building yet more roads, is clearly unsustainable.
URL or it didn't happen.
If Ken hadn't messed with all of the traffic lights before and after the congestion charge was introduced, I MIGHT agree with you. But because he did, there is no true way of measuring what's happened. Also happen to think that of congestion gets too bad, enough people would take public transport anyway, if they can - so more self-regulated. Those who need to drive, for instance, to carry tools for their job, can still stay in their cars. Again, dislike BigBrother/Ken having oodles of information on what vehicles can be spotted where etc.No, because road-pricing is mainly aimed to reduce congestion - the idea is that congestion in itself is a Bad Thing. So it's a traffic-management solution.
Personally, I think the congestion charge has worked well with London, and it should work well in other congested areas if implemented correctly.
The idea of paying more for "in demand" journeys makes sense, that's how Easyjet works after all. Penalising Chelsea Tractor School Run Mums seems like a good idea to me
As for Chelsea Tractor School Run Mums ... hands off, they're one of my biggest client groups.
(Sigh). I clearly quoted someone else. If you want to say that it didn't happen, then go right ahead.
PS - Were you sitting/breakfasting with Lynn & Dizzy when I sat down at the table at Southport around lunchtime on Saturday? Sorry - didn't introduce myself (if it was you).
Generally I prefer uniform impositions, other than those based on income or wealth. If, for example, a 'pay as you go' system was introduced for the National Health, many people will simply be priced out of healthcare. Better that everyone pay taxes at an appropriate rate and then its always there for whoever needs it. It should be noted that the US system costs far more than ours, per head of population (and even though the lowest social strata gets almost none at all outside the largest cities) and yet we get (some) better health indices.
Same goes for roads. If an elderly relative is ill and requires hospitalisation, and you have to travel 100 miles to get there, road pricing may very well mean you can only afford to visit half or one-quarter as often as you otherwise would.
If, on the other hand, a decent public system was already in place, then might be the time to discuss ways of pricing motorists onto buses and trains.
I'm saying that any "information" received in a chain emails is completely unreliable and shouldn't be passed on without confirmation.
Here's the BBC study:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworc..._feature.shtml
I have no idea.
Actually, I remember seeing that - it was on the news a few weeks ago. I don't think it was a "study", it was a news item.
EDIT:
Ah yes, that's the one.
Your "link king" crown is unchallenged, Mr Harper
Did anyone else, after seeing the title of the thread, think it was about tracking scrap vehicles? I was thinking to myself 'why would you want to do that?'
Had a quick look at that study.
The guy's a chartered surveyor, so what does he care about having to spend a little more money? He can probably put his charges up, or his employer can, if he needs a bit more income to offset the extra costs, and even if not chartered surveyors are well above the median income.
Let's see similar exercises done with nurses, junior teachers, shop assistants, mechanics, factory workers, etc. I doubt that they will react quite so calmly to the idea of having to spend an extra £1500 on travel.
Last edited by Barry Shnikov; 8th-February-2007 at 06:09 PM. Reason: typo
They won't. They'll know how fast your "tracking device" was going. Ill be talking mine on the Edinburgh - London plane
As soon as they make it a legal requirement to use your tracking device you will have to check it regularly to make sure it still works, unless breakages are not illegal. In which case mine will have "fallen down the stairs".
There'll be a light on the dashboard.
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