Privatisation of the Motorways

[Sandman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17423693

So I read the last few days that the Goverment are interested in privatising the Major Motorways so as to pass the cost onto the Private Sector. They are saying that Traffic Jams are non enviromental and that its holding back the economy. If this happens then I will never ever vote for Conservative again. The amount of money they raise in tax from the Driver got out of hand long ago. Yet they keep finding more ways to take money from us.

Some will say, that we dont need a car. We can live without cars. But those people forget that our food gets delivered by Lorries, with every raise in costs for motoring our basic form of living increases. So even if you are a non car person you will feel the pinch from this. Fuel Tax is already way over the top, Road tax continues to rise, then you have the cash making Speed Cameras and now this. I hardly ever drive my car these days, the cost of fuel is just way too much, I have considered not having a car but I just need it on occasion. But everything is affected by charges to vehicles, our food, our clothes etc.

I quite often Drive in Portugal and France, and Roll Tolling is not a way to get rid of congestion. The motorways in Portugal are deserted and everyone uses the National roads (dual carriageways) to get around. This works in Portugal but in England it would cause more backlogs in traffic. In France its costs about ?ú70 in tolls to go from one end to the other and you have no choice.

If they even consider this then they have to remove Car Tax. I have to pay to park outside my own house, yet another form of tax that is supposed to be covered by the Road Tax. If they bring in Motorway tolls as well then we are showing that as a nation of people we are willing to roll over and take everything the goverments shove down our throats.

Im starting to really hate this country.

 

[southstand1882]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17423693

Im starting to really hate this country.

And who's fault is that?

THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT!

You might not like the "Conservative" medicine. But take it, we must.

 

[Sandman]

And who's fault is that?

THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT!

You might not like the "Conservative" medicine. But take it, we must.

I know what you are saying and I have never voted for Labour and never will. But the burden to us the citizens is getting out of hand, as they waste more and more money they just turn to new taxes to get more budget in. We dont have a say, we can vote but every goverment is the same as the other, wasting money here, there and everywhere. Then just taxing us in a new way as they know we will just take it.

 

[WookieD]

I would be furious if they tolled existing roads. But if the plan were to build Toll alternatives like the M6 Toll, then I'd be all for it. Sit in the jams if you're happy to take your time or pay a premium for uncrowded bliss.

 

[Superhudd]

I would be furious if they tolled existing roads. But if the plan were to build Toll alternatives like the M6 Toll, then I'd be all for it. Sit in the jams if you're happy to take your time or pay a premium for uncrowded bliss.

I think its a brilliant idea to pay more for fast track lanes.

 

[WookieD]

I tell you something, if there were a toll road to avoid sitting on the M25 round heathrow for hours of my life, I'd jump at the chance!

 

[Sandman]

I would be furious if they tolled existing roads

But you know that is where it ends. It would start with new roads, then they would move it onto existing roads. And before you know it you are paying ?ú20 to drive to Birmingham on top of everything else. But im not worried about being able to Drive around, I go to Birmingham quite often and I take the train! its cheaper, I can chill out and drink and not worry. Im thinking more about when this moves onto existing roads and then pushes up the costs of living for everyone! drivers or not!

 

[scaramanga]

But you know that is where it ends. It would start with new roads, then they would move it onto existing roads. And before you know it you are paying ?ú20 to drive to Birmingham on top of everything else. But im not worried about being able to Drive around, I go to Birmingham quite often and I take the train! its cheaper, I can chill out and drink and not worry. Im thinking more about when this moves onto existing roads and then pushes up the costs of living for everyone! drivers or not!

I go to Birmingham quite a lot too - have you ever known a place where everyone drives so fudging slowly?

I would happily pay for quiet roads, not an issue for me at all. The M6 toll is amazing, although I think there should be a deal that hidden speed traps aren't allowed on the toll roads - fixed cameras are fine, but not those sneaky hiding behind a bush ones.

 

[The Moonlit Knight]

I think this is a sick joke. Especially as they'll toll the roads and still make us pay car tax and tax on petrol. I'm fed up of our taxes not going where they are relevant too. Taxes generated by motorists should ONLY be used to fund transportation upgrades.

The bottom line is until a government has the balls to pull out of Europe, dismantle the NHS and completely reform the Welfare State we're totally fudged no matter what we do.

 

[jpp]

The way forward is part government part private funding. The M6 Toll is not successful because it is too expensive but a partially funded road makes sense. Tolls would be lower and more importantly it would get built. Poor road networks really do effect business growth and as someone has already said Labour spunked all the money, sold all the gold at a ridiculously low price and stealth taxed us to death. The days where we can expect government to just build roads are gone. And do not compare us to Germany or France. IF you want free healthcare for all then other things suffer. The goverment raise some ?ú45 billion in revenue from motorists but a very small percentage goes on roads. Not many voters would rather see their local hospital shut so a new dual carriageway can be built.

 

[Crab.C.Nesbitt]

To be honest I've worked in internal audit in the public sector for over nine years, and the amount of waste and inefficiency that I've seen in my time leads me to believe that the way forward when it comes to government expenditure and taxation isn't to introduce new methods of taxation but to get rid of all the incompetent **** senior management in the public sector that wastes money time and again. It never ceases to amaze me that, considering how we are always told that we need to pay top dollar to attract the best people to public sector roles, whenever a major change process takes place in a public sector organisation, thousands (or millions depending on the size of the organisation) of pounds are spent on consultants....why do we need the farking consultants, if the management that we are paying so much money too are "the best people"???

 

[WookieD]

But you know that is where it ends. It would start with new roads, then they would move it onto existing roads. And before you know it you are paying ?ú20 to drive to Birmingham on top of everything else. But im not worried about being able to Drive around, I go to Birmingham quite often and I take the train! its cheaper, I can chill out and drink and not worry. Im thinking more about when this moves onto existing roads and then pushes up the costs of living for everyone! drivers or not!

You're reading too many conspiracy reports mate. I can't see any of that happening.

 

[Yossarian]

I think this is a sick joke. Especially as they'll toll the roads and still make us pay car tax and tax on petrol. I'm fed up of our taxes not going where they are relevant too. Taxes generated by motorists should ONLY be used to fund transportation upgrades.

The bottom line is until a government has the balls to pull out of Europe, dismantle the NHS and completely reform the Welfare State we're totally fudged no matter what we do.

This.

http://eureferendum.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/another-reminder.html

 

[yiddo2786]

I think this is a sick joke. Especially as they'll toll the roads and still make us pay car tax and tax on petrol. I'm fed up of our taxes not going where they are relevant too. Taxes generated by motorists should ONLY be used to fund transportation upgrades.

The bottom line is until a government has the balls to pull out of Europe, dismantle the NHS and completely reform the Welfare State we're totally fudged no matter what we do.

As long as there are net gainers there need to be net contributors. As long as there are thousands of people who pay zero tax and use ?ú30k worth of government spending, there has to be some hard working sap who pays ?ú40k in taxes and takes ?ú10k back from the government.

 

[Hootnow]

dismantle the NHS

This isn't the US old boy, we care about our poor here.

 

[jpp]

Any party that stood for election with a promise to dismantle the NHS would be annihilated at the polls. Likewise if they said we would pull out of Europe. Facts are that while the NHS is an expensive behemoth and sucks up whatever finance is thrown at it, it cannot be dismantled.
Europe is a different matter, I for one would happily pull out of all political ties with Europe but maintain strong trading links. Trouble is, Europe is dominated by centre left parties intent on creating a United States of Europe at whatever cost. The politics is so entwined with the trade that everything silts up and costs a fortune.

 

[scaramanga]

The way forward is part government part private funding. The M6 Toll is not successful because it is too expensive but a partially funded road makes sense.

The M6 is wildly successful, it's the best bit of road building that's happened in this country since the inception of motorways.

That road never queues, you never get departs dropping their kids off at school doing 70 in the outside lane, you don't get old people moving so slowly that lorries have to overtake. It's amazing.

Frankly I'd pay double if that were part of my regular route.

 

[scaramanga]

Also, if you make toll roads cheaper they just fill up with all the other ****s from the non-toll roads.

I don't usually agree with taxes as you rarely get what you pay for, but in this instance, the more you pay the better it is.

 

[jpp]

The M6 is wildly successful, it's the best bit of road building that's happened in this country since the inception of motorways.

That road never queues, you never get departs dropping their kids off at school doing 70 in the outside lane, you don't get old people moving so slowly that lorries have to overtake. It's amazing.

Frankly I'd pay double if that were part of my regular route.

Fair point. It is wildly successful as an alternative to the M6 but has not delivered the desired effect of cutting significant congestion on the M6. The private company financing the M6 Toll have successfully priced HCV's off the road. Fair enough, they have to maintain it. However there are roads where there is no significant alternative so pricing has to consider the fact that people cannot go another route. Here tolls have to be less, considerably so. And this is where public/private finance arrangements are necessary.

 

[scaramanga]

Fair point. It is wildly successful as an alternative to the M6 but has not delivered the desired effect of cutting significant congestion on the M6. The private company financing the M6 Toll have successfully priced HCV's off the road. Fair enough, they have to maintain it. However there are roads where there is no significant alternative so pricing has to consider the fact that people cannot go another route. Here tolls have to be less, considerably so. And this is where public/private finance arrangements are necessary.

I'd agree with that - there are a lot of roads (such as the A34 and parts of the M3) where there are only two lanes. Driving down them is like being in the 1950s. In these cases you would need at least one extra lane, preferably another 3 - the fast lane (or lanes) could be charged whilst leaving the rest for those that don't mind queueing.

The technology is there to do this easily. The only problem is that to get motorists' support, the government would have to ensure that the technology could never be used for speeding enforcement - nobody is going to pay money just to travel at 70.