From BBC website 'Motorists must pay for road use' - thought we already bloody did!

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="629" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><div class="mxb"><div class="sh">Motorists 'must pay for road use' </div></div></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="416"><font size="2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="203" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><div> <div class="cap">Ministers say congestion could rise by 25% by 2015 </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Motorists should be asked to pay to drive on the nation's road network, a report commissioned by the government has recommended.

Former British Airways chief Sir Rod Eddington has examined options for modernising the UK transport network. </p>

He has reported that road tolls could bring £28bn a year of benefits to bus and rail users. </p>

With road charging, drivers would pay more to use roads when they were busy or more congested. </p>

If road charging was introduced, the government would be able to examine the option of whether it could raise enough revenue to replace fuel duty and the car tax disc. </p>

Fundraiser </p>

Road charges could cut congestion by half, Sir Rod said in the report commissioned by Chancellor Gordon Brown. </p>

Grand projects like high-speed rail links were less important than using existing networks better, he added. </p>

Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, received strong backing. </p>

But Sir Rod warned the new technology would be hard to implement. </p>

&quot;Road pricing on this scale is new and at this stage has unknown implementation costs,&quot; Sir Rod said in the report. </p>

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td width="5"></td><td class="sibtbg"><div class="sih">READ THE FINDINGS </div><div class="mva">
</div><div class="miiib"><div class="acrol">Eddington Transport Study: Sir Rod Eddington's advice to Government [2.1MB] </div><div class="acrol">Vol 1: Understanding the relationship [280KB] </div><div class="acrol">Vol 2: Defining the challenge [6.4MB] </div><div class="acrol">Vol 3: Meeting the challenge [1.8MB] </div><div class="acrol">Vol 4: Taking action [3.5MB] </div></div><div class="mva">Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader </div><div><div class="arr">Download the reader here</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

&quot;There are very significant risks and uncertainties involved in delivering a pricing policy, particularly around the technology needed for its delivery.&quot; </p>

The government announced the transport study in 2005 as part of an effort to examine the long-term impact of transport decisions on the UK economy. </p>

Sir Rod has examined the possibilities for road pricing, road building, rail and airport investment, as well as the planning system. </p>



His report identifies three strategic transport priorities - congested and growing city catchments, &quot;inter-urban&quot; corridors and important international gateways showing signs of congestion and unreliability. </p>

Such gateways include Heathrow Airport where 28% of flights are delayed by more than 15 minutes - some of the worst delays in the EU. </p>

The report concludes that the potential benefits of charging motorists for using roads will outweigh the costs of the scheme. </p>

Road charges will put some people off driving entirely, cut congestion and carbon emissions and could raise up to £16bn a year in payments, Sir Rod says. </p>

Sir Rod's report also says: </p>

<ul class="bulletList">[*]The UK has a greater proportion of its population connected to the strategic road and rail networks than European competitors [*]Management of transport is very inefficient and disjointed in UK - especially for buses [*]Road pricing should only be rolled out after proper testing on pilot schemes [*]Policy should be focused on improving the performance of existing transport networks in those places that are important for the UK's economic success[/list]

Many of the recommendations are in line with government thinking, but have now received the backing of a respected businessman. </p>

The prospect of road pricing was given a cool welcome by some. </p>

The Transport 2000 lobby group said that, for road pricing to work, alternatives to driving must be improved. </p>

Shadow transport secretary Chris Grayling said a national road pricing scheme for every road was not &quot;realistically achievable in the near future&quot;. </p>

Conservative plan </p>

Sir Rod's report warns that how we get around Britain will be vital for future economic success. </p>

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="208" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td width="5"></td><td class="sibtbg"><div><div class="mva"> For road pricing to work it's going to have to be accompanied by a lot of other measures <br clear="all" /></div></div><div class="mva"><div>Stephen Joseph,
Transport 2000 </div></div><div class="o">
</div><div class="miiib"><div class="arr">Send us your comments </div><div class="arr">Business wants action </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

The government has already indicated it will press ahead with trial road-pricing schemes across England - amid fears congestion could rise by 25% by 2015 in big towns and cities. </p>

The draft Road Transport Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech, gives councils more freedom to bring in their own schemes in busy areas. </p>

The Conservatives have released their own strategy, Getting Around: Britain's Great Frustration, calling for greener cars on the roads and major long-term projects. </p>

They have also not ruled out road pricing but say they would build new roads and have a more integrated transport policy.</p></font></td></tr></tbody></table>



If they don't want us to use the roads - shouldn't they provide a decent alternative first? Barstewards. More indirect taxation to hurt the least well off most. Thanks 'New' Labour.</p>

 

Made up statistics

And if anyone thinks the extra revenue generated would actually go into public transport rather than the bloated public sector non job creation programme then cuckoo.

 

RE: Made up statistics

agree !!! Lies, damned lies etc..</p>

I was in Italy and travelled by train from Pisa to Florence (approx 80km). Train on time, clean, air conditioned and well populated. Cost 8 euros !!!! </p>

Everything in this country seems not to be about solving the problem, but how can we make people feel guilty and tax 'em.</p>

 

"He has reported that road tolls could bring £28bn a year of benefits to bus and rail users."

Well, can we have some fecking buses and trains then please, rather than the occasional 1 every other hour that goes all way around england to go 5 miles up the road (if they even bother to turn up)

I for one would gladly ditch my car for either a train or bus, but

a) TRAINS - there is no train station near me without a 3 mile walk to the nearest one that doesn't go anywhere near where I work, and the one that does go near to where I work would result in me trying to travel 6 miles to one, and then a one mile walk to actually get to work,

b) BUSES - already had my gripe, but would have to catch a bus that takes over an hour to the station, and then a one mile walk (as the buses don't pass where I work, without having to catch 3 seperate ones, so again that makes a 2 hour trip.



So

whereas going in a car I simply get there in 20 mins and is 9 miles away from home (including picking someone up and dropping them off)


So in other words...

SORT THE FECKIN PUBLIC TRANSPORT OUT FIRST BEFORE CHARGING ROAD USERS EXTORTIONATE PRICES BECAUSE HALF OF THEM DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN OPTION!!!!



"Smaller projects, including an expansion of the UK cycle network, received strong backing. " AND THIS CAN **** RIGHT OFF, no way am I riding a bike 18 miles a day to work and back

"calling for greener cars on the roads" - And who is going to pay for this????? as per usual..



As you can tell, thats hit a nerve!

 

actually

you could do 9 miles by bicycle in about 30 mins if there's no major hills</p>

and the bonus is you get fitter every day!</p>

 

RE: "He has reported that road tolls could bring £28bn a year of benefits to bus and rail users."

The other alternative would be for people to move closer to where they work, well that would be a good idea if house price inflation wasn't rampantly out of control, sorry I'm forgetting that that is deemed to be a good thing!

 

RE: "He has reported that road tolls could bring £28bn a year of benefits to bus and rail users."

aye, Tebbit suggested we 'got on our bike'. Unfortunately we didn't take him literally, we used cars instead !!!</p>

Naughty us !! Ah well Nanny knows best !!</p>

 

Link to public protest that goes to number 10..

Just sign and send, there's thousands already! not suprising really is it!
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/?showall=1

 

Sign up!!! its for your own good!!! n/t

 

Also

I work all over the country maintaining mob phone towers, one day I could be in Southampton the next I could be in Newcastle.</p>

Today I've been to Torquay and back, this would proberbly cost me more than I earn't.</p>

And what about all the northern lads that travel down to London to build things that southerners don't know how to.</p>

Who ever thought of this idea sits in an office all day two streets away from their penthouse appartment. </p>

Yet another tax from &quot;new Labour&quot; on the working man.</p>

 

I don't know what everyone is so worried about.

Tax on fuel already means we pretty much pay tax on a basis of how much we travel.
So, of course when this comes in, they will abolish tax on fuel won't they?

I mean, New Labour surely wouldn't try to tax us twice on the same thing would they?

NURSE! ME TABLETS! I can feel reality slipping away again!

 

RE: actually

and get piss wet through most of the time..thats a negative by the way

 

RE: actually

not true-there are many more dry hours than wet during the year-and even so the car could be a back up in case of severely inclement weather

 

"Who ever thought of this idea sits in an office all day"

According to someone who called into Radio 5 (and backed up here), that office would be in Australia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Eddington