Road Charging Petition

[Sippo]

An online petition calling on the government to scrap plans to introduce satellite tracking and pay-per-mile road charging has attracted more than 175,000 signatories to the 10 Downing Street website.
The protest, submitted by Peter Roberts of Telford in Shropshire, has 10 times as many signatures as the next most popular petition. The government’s congestion-beating plans to charge motorists up to £1.34 per mile to drive at peak times have clearly angered Britain’s beleaguered motorists who already pay the highest rates of fuel tax in Europe.
In his introduction to the petition Roberts states: “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.”
Transport chiefs claim that unless radical action is taken, the country faces gridlock on major routes within the next 20 to 30 years and the government is funding research into road-pricing to the tune of £10 million. Last year, a report commissioned by the government concluded that road pricing was inevitable and the report’s author, former British Airways boss Rod Eddington, called it an “economic no-brainer”. However motoring organizations say people do not trust the government over the issue, seeing it instead as simply another way to raise revenue from motorists. The petition closes on February 20 and could attract as many as 500,000 signatures.


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

[yeo]

I wont be signing I fully support the proposals if you want to drive a car on well maintained roads then you have to pay for it.It will also stop stupid use of cars for non essential trips.

[Arriba]

i'm with yeovil on this.
many of the nations roads are at breaking point with huge vehicle numbers using them,something needs to be done.
public transport needs drastic improvement and investment though.it should be made cheaper!
british rail should never had been sold off by the tories!

[Sippo]

I wont be signing I fully support the proposals if you want to drive a car on well maintained roads then you have to pay for it.It will also stop stupid use of cars for non essential trips.

The government get money from road tax and fuel tax to sort the roads. I travels a round trip of about 35 miles to work. Why should I have to pay nearly £50 a day for that previlege? The Bus is a no go so what other option would I have?

[mattboyslim]

Agree with you gys to a certain extent, certain journeys are unavoidable, and more schemes like the M6 toll are good.  I do think some of the fees are exorbitant and when you look at certain government spending on their own transport (2 jags) you have to ask questions.  Public transport needs a massive cash injection, as trains should be better quicker and cheaper than they are, some journeys cost more than flights and are slower then the steam trains of 150 yrs ago.

[yeo]

It wont be £50 a day to travel 35 miles thats complete nonsense .

[Sippo]

It wont be £50 a day to travel 35 miles thats complete nonsense .

Upto £1.34 a mile  :roll:

[Amir]

What's the point in protesting something that has only been mooted and wouldn't happen in whatever form for 10-15 years.

Fucking online petitions

[yeo]

It says up to 1.34 that will mean top wack for city centres and and busy roads thus stopping people using on them.It will be used to promote car sharing 4 people in a car rather than 4 cars on a the road is better for the roads and the enviroment.

[mattboyslim]

Up to £1.34 a  mile on totally nonessential journeys like half a mile to school in a 4x4, awkward rural journeys or ones not covered by public transport will be considerably cheaper.  I saw a BBC trial of this looking at different people and the school run mum was the worst affected, ulitmately it will probably try and lure people into living nearer their jobs or working nearer their homes.

[Sippo]

True. I just don't think its justified. It seems as if the government are yet punishing the motorist.  :evil:

[yeo]

So you are kicking off over something that may actually cost you less money if you use your car properly.stfcfan, do you take the Daily Mail?

[Sippo]

:?
I pay x amount on fuel, road tax and insurance a year. We as a country pay higher fuel costs than anywhere in Europe.  Why should I have to fork out anymore? I don't see how it can cost me less money. maybe I'm being dumb.

Fair enough reducing emissions and damage to the environment, but reducing grid locks? Don't think it would happen as most of it is caused by people getting to a place at the same time ie. Work.

[yeo]

you wont be paying road tax if that law came in..its instead of

[Sippo]

Road Tax costs me £116 a year. I can't see it being cheaper than that.