I got an email from a mate today so thought its worth a post.

This is the biggest move to tax & infringe on privacy ever proposed in this Country!

Best sell your fast car ASAP as it wonÃ,¹t be worth buttons if this happens!

No apologies for sending this on...This may not interest you and if it doesnt please simply delete it - if youre a motorist, read on and do your duty!

It was stated on the news this morning (27th November 2006) one of the reasons this proposal has been suggested was to raise money for possible road building and improvements to existing roads. It should be noted that all the money currently collected by the DVLA for road fund licences, only 23% - 24% is actually spent on road building and improvements!

The governments 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 Ã,£200 and in a recent study by the BBC the lowest monthly bill was Ã,£28 for a rural florist and Ã,£194 for a delivery driver. A non working Mum who used the car to take the kids to school paid Ã,£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 you can expect an NIP with your monthly bill. If you care about our freedoms and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10s new website, sign up here http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

Any government who introduces this will be voted out of office.  No matter what party you support you know the reality of this.  

Someone worked out it would cost me about an extra Ã,£40 a week to get to work because I have to head through the middle of town.  If i went the long way round, and more than doubled my distance I would burn less in extra fuel a week.  Hardly a "Green" tax as the same applies to most folks. before anyone suggest bike or bus, its 16 miles to work.  That means it isnt close neough to just jump on the pushbike.  I normally start work at 8, and the forst bus is 6:30, then 7:30.  It would take me 3 buses, Ã,£6 each way and the operator who covers the final stage doesnt accept bus passes, so even getting one of those is useless.  Also ive better things to do than spend 1.5 hours each way travelling, car takes 25 minutes each way.  Getting a closer job isnt an option atm unless i want to call people up selling them mobile phones.  

petitioned

Quote from: BeakerAny government who introduces this will be voted out of office.  No matter what party you support you know the reality of this.  
 

Not if they all vote for it.

TBH its not at all new, I put up exactly the same issues a couple of months back and it was all easily predictable then.

Low/zero pollution vehicles will doubtless be exempt from it anyway.

signed up, for all the good it will do


not saying they imediately will be, but the number of things around these days which COULD be used for some very shady government practices scares the hell out of me.

Quote from: BeakerAny government who introduces this will be voted out of office.  No matter what party you support you know the reality of this.  

Someone worked out it would cost me about an extra Ã,£40 a week to get to work because I have to head through the middle of town.  If i went the long way round, and more than doubled my distance I would burn less in extra fuel a week.  Hardly a "Green" tax as the same applies to most folks. before anyone suggest bike or bus, its 16 miles to work.  That means it isnt close neough to just jump on the pushbike.  I normally start work at 8, and the forst bus is 6:30, then 7:30.  It would take me 3 buses, Ã,£6 each way and the operator who covers the final stage doesnt accept bus passes, so even getting one of those is useless.  Also ive better things to do than spend 1.5 hours each way travelling, car takes 25 minutes each way.  Getting a closer job isnt an option atm unless i want to call people up selling them mobile phones.  

erm... 16 miles is nada. alright its hefty, but I certainly wouldnt baulk at the idea. Failing that most buses (providing you ask the company) will allow bikes on board. So get the bus half way... ride the rest.

at least there is an option there Where as my dad... is area manager for everything below the river severn, and as far as the M25. He travels 1000s of miles a month... this will be a crazy charge to levy against companies.

Just insane, how are fleet companies meant to keep running? surely there must be compensation for businesses?

this is stupid. they surely cant do this.

I commute 30 miles to work.

Although there is a train station in my town, it requires at least one change, and the end train station is 10 miles from where i work.

And even then, if i were to catch a bus from the train station, it would travel down the most congested road in the south (Gosports A32) and take longer than if i was driving the entire journey in the car because it stops every 10 yards.

Quote from: M3ta7h3aderm... 16 miles is nada. alright its hefty, but I certainly wouldnt baulk at the idea. Failing that most buses (providing you ask the company) will allow bikes on board. So get the bus half way... ride the rest.

if I go on the bike then the bypass is off limits, not sure how much extra that adds, prolly only a couple of miles.  Also at the moment ive no access to showers at work.  Ive cycled that far before (in fact round the corner form where im working now), but they had a Gym and showers.