Pay to drive.

tut · Post by **tut** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 7:34 pm

I see that the initial Eddington report came out today.

Had me quaking in my boots, well my bare feet. The feasiblity study is going to take ten years, then they plan an experimental implementation in the West Midlands and Manchester, and if that works, it could be rolled out Nationwide in 15 years.

Not sure if I would still be enjoying my Elise at 81, but I probably do not have to worry to much at having to pay £1.40/mile for the pleasure of driving at 12 tuts through a major City or the M25 etc.

However for you 25 year olds, time to join the revolution.

tut

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 11:29 pm

And yet another reason to leave this fecking country (the UK that is). If that happens, I'm out of here. And I ain't kidding. Already starting to consider some other European countries.

Pay to fecking drive . . .

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:08 am

dezzy wrote:And yet another reason to leave this fecking country (the UK that is). If that happens, I'm out of here. And I ain't kidding. Already starting to consider some other European countries.

Pay to fecking drive . . .

Easy to say Dezzy- every country has it's issues!

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:31 am

It may be easy to say, but it's also easy to do . . . which is why I've already started to look into it. You're right, every country does have its issues, but I'm personally not happy with measures like this that our government tries to introduce. If they are not going to listen to the people and just do whatever they think is best, then why the hell should I stay and line their pockets and let them waste my money on things I don't personally agree with? It's all IMHO, but it's my choice whether to like it or lump it!

PhilA · Post by **PhilA** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:20 am

fast forward x years and all cars will be allocated a "slot" and u wait for that slot and jump in the navigational channel - controlled by a central computer, or devices talking to each other.

driver does nothing but control the doors...

the planet isnt big enuff for all of us.
the sooner humans spread out in the universe, the better...

tut · Post by **tut** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:39 am

Realistically though, we still have at least 10 years to enjoy ourselves before all this PC crap hits us.

The cities may be targeted before then, but rather selfishly, that will have no impact on me at all, and the back roads that we really enjoy ourselves on, they barely know of their existence. If it aint got an M or A in front of it, it does not count.

tut (Optimistic faction)

Post by **simon** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:43 am

dezzy wrote:I'm personally not happy with measures like this that our government tries to introduce.

Not so sure it's all bad, if done properly it could be better than it is just now. IIRC, you already use the train for work so assuming you only drove the Elise at weekends on B roads, you'd get your fun for much less assuming road tax was abolished and only trunk roads were charged for.

The thing that worries me is the blanket enforcement of speed limits using GPS.

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:57 am

I agree Simon, it thankfully won't hit the roads we all enjoy. It's the principle of it all and the way they go about it that pisses me off.

If they want to get people off the roads and onto public transport to ease congestion and recude wear and tear on our crumbling roads, then they need to do one simple thing: improve public transport!

I've only been back getting the train to work for 4 weeks and (no exaggeration), it has been late every single morning! It has also been full every single morning and you are usually squeezed in like a can of sardines. It also costs me more on a daily basis to use the train. So, there is no encouragement to use public transport.

I don't think the government ever look at the root cause of why people won't use public transport. They just attack the motorists instead of looking at the reasons that are stopping them from getting trains and buses. If they improved buses and trains, we might leave our cars for the weekends and get the train to work, but until they dramatically improve these services, people will still use their cars. Rising petrol prices have not stopped us, so they're hoping that these kind of charges might force us onto the trains and buses. This will just make them more congested and late!

mac · Post by **mac** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:30 am

The technology exists today to measure not only speed via GPS but also acceleration, braking, G force whilst cornering and some other stuff too. Could it be that it the attempt to turn the UK into a nanny state they will also impose restrictions on the above too?

When push comes to shove - Driver's are the new smokers. It's not for tree hugging reasons that we are taxed, it because we are one of the last "elastic" comodities. It stinks worse that a cess pit in summer but that the cold hard reason - they can tax more, collect more and we will keep on driving, just like the folk addicted to tobbaco.

Personally, and I appologise if this offends anyone, I'd legalise all drugs and benifit from the tax that brings - like the others it's an elastic comodity.

Mac

robin · Post by **robin** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:40 am

I wouldn't be too quick to back the scheme outlined by the report (logical though it is), because governments tend to make a mess of implementing anything IT and this is surely going to go the same way (ID card anybody?

).

I haven't looked at the details, but they would do well to make a market out of it up front - e.g. get the mobile telephone companies (who have a vested interest in having an efficient infrastructure) to do most of it and then have consumers (drivers) register with a preferred supplier for access to the network (roads).

I would back some further investment in the rail network if I thought it would get more freight on it (as I understand it freight traffic accounts for a disproportionate amount of wear on the road network), but rail is not exactly cheap infrastructure - a "freight lane", like a bus lane, might be a cheaper way of reducing the impact of freight on proper traffic

Before you decide that the government should be pouring billions into the public transport system, make sure you know where the money is coming from ... your pocket mostly!

An efficient and well run road charging scheme will provide both the stick to get people off the roads (we all know that has to happen) and the funds to improve public transport (we don't know that will actually happen or work if it does).

Getting people out of their offices in the first place is going to be a vital part of the long term plan though. Many office workers could and should be able to work either from home, or from pay-as-you-sit satellite office type things; our lack of trust in our employees means that we're not ready for that yet, but it's got to happen!

Cheers,
Robin

mac · Post by **mac** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:48 am

I agree with trying to get more freight on the rails (but then I would) The problem is that like the roads the rail network is reaching capacity too! In this day and age I find a few things outragous :-

Why is there only 1 motorway linking Scotland to England (and even that has the "cumberland gap" There should be another motorway system linking into the M1 from Edinburgh, it's our nationals capital FFS and it doesn't have a motorway linking it to England and London!!!!

Why is there only two railways that link Scotland to England - and why are our railways only double tracked when a lot in England are 4 tracked.

TS (Transport Scotland) are making in-roads into the problem - they have already put in place a scheme to reduce the amount of freight that goes by road between the central belt and the North East, let hope the continue this and free up some tarmac for those that count driving as a hobby.

Mac

r10crw · Post by **r10crw** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:06 am

Im with dezzy, Im sick of this molly coddled society where were wrapped up in cotton wool. What this government doesnt realise is that people are already leaving. Lots of the engineers i went to uni with have already left. The sixties seventies and eighties was a time where people learned though mistakes and in turn produced some of the best thinkers,ie: scientists, engineers etc the world has seen. Scotland itself has a great reputation with engineers and in a few years this will be lost leaving nothing but spoon fed "farmed" humans. Wel thats my rant over, i could go on for ever. Craig.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:16 am

Right so you are going to put a little black box in my plastic sports car run from the cars electrical system?

Dom wrote:Sorry officer, I didn't reallise I had broken it, I often use nails to hold bits of car together...

How are they going to implement it? I assume that they will be able to scan a car and see if it's working, but they can't currently track who has tax and insurance reliably let alone an invisible (And possibly "broken") little black box.

PhilA · Post by **PhilA** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

mac wrote:Personally, and I appologise if this offends anyone, I'd legalise all drugs and benifit from the tax that brings - like the others it's an elastic comodity.

i wouldnt. id make it all illegal and come down harder on them all. I know of 3 or 4 people who take drugs and drive and it makes me angry when i think about it.

But i agree with the rest of what u said.

Did u know that theres loads of money for this government that isnt used properly?
They couldnt manage to open a door without hiring 1 person and making them start from South Africa with 2 million quid and making no deadline.

mac · Post by **mac** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:12 pm

PhilA wrote:
i wouldnt. id make it all illegal and come down harder on them all. I know of 3 or 4 people who take drugs and drive and it makes me angry when i think about it.

Alcohol is legal and folk drink & drive and as you have mentioned there are folk who drive "stoned" - I don't think legalisation or harder punishment for the distribution of drugs would make one bit of difference.

But as I said - it's an emotive subject and everyone is vaild to their opinion.

Mac