Cash to Cruise
Pay-as-you-drive roads coming to the UK | The Register
Controversial plans by the UK government to introduce road pricing are to go ahead, despite fierce opposition
The government has published a draft Bill laying the ground for local authorities to develop local pay-as-you-drive road charging across England and Wales.
Conservative transport spokesperson Chris Grayling said that despite the government's public denials, the Bill is a "Trojan horse" for national road pricing.
"It's now clear that Gordon Brown is as committed to the government's road pricing plans as Tony Blair has been, despite the petition signed by 1.8m people and official forecasts that such as scheme could cost up to £60bn.
"To make matters worse, they are blackmailing local authorities into being guinea pigs for road pricing so they don't have to take the flack themselves.
Road pricing will hit 4x4s hardest | Uk News | News | Telegraph
The draft Local Transport Bill has a clause insisting that any council proposing a pay-as-you-drive scheme must take account of its environmental effect.
Climate change has been highlighted in the Bill as a factor which should be considered when devising schemes.
While many of the clauses amount to little more than building on powers contained in the Transport Act 2000, the insertion of "green" provisions represents a significant shift from previous legislation.
A tax raising measure - nothing to do with Brown, it is just a "green" measure - oh yes!
Comments
Obviously any scheme that gives the Greasy One more loot has to be a bad thing, especially when it is based on such dodgy thinking. But perhaps we should look for the silver lining in this cloud. When you think about it this scheme could have some fine feudal and reactionary advantages.
The charging will obviously be by car type rather than the owner's wealth. Therefore chavs and other low born types will either be forced to drive tiny micro cars or no cars at all. Surely this will then leave the roads far more welcoming to those wealthy enough to afford planet destroying 4x4's and effoff big sports cars.
With suitable allowances for those who need to use bigger vehicles for business(farmers, tradesmen etc) this whole thing could make driving in Britain a far more pleasant experience.
Posted by: The Remittance Man | May 23, 2007 8:26 AM
what next a tax,whoops I mean fee for walking the public lands.
Posted by: Larry Graham | May 23, 2007 8:29 AM
what next a tax,whoops I mean fee for walking the public lands.
Posted by: Larry Graham | May 23, 2007 8:29 AM
Ah, road pricing. Sounds fair. I mean, it means we won't have to pay road tax or fuel duty any more, right? Right?
Posted by: The Cynical Libertarian | May 23, 2007 4:15 PM
Its all about the EU's Galileo sat nav system. Its a way of raising tax to pay for the EU. Really we do nothing in this country that has not been inspired by Brussels except banning fox hunting. Dustbin collections, Hips (energy certificates are required by Brussels but our clowns go and gold plate it)the list grows and grows.
Posted by: robert myatt | May 23, 2007 7:01 PM
At catholicfundamentalism.com we all enjoy watching God let England destroy itself with its own self-righteousness. England's only hope is to return to the Church (you know, the one that's Roman and Catholic), but you're too scared of your ruling elitists.
Posted by: billadams | May 24, 2007 1:22 AM
Bill, there's another possibility that you may not have considered; that we regard Catholic Fundamentalism as a load of bollocks?
Posted by: Ian Bennett | May 24, 2007 8:28 AM