'Pay as you go' road tax. (Proposed car tax scheme in UK)

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17 Feb 2007 12:00 AM by JeansSis Star rating. 2376 posts Send private message

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Apparently there is only one month left to register your objection to the 'Pay as you go' road tax.

The petition is on the 10 Downing St website.   http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

750,000 signatures are required to stop them introducing it.
 
 
Once you've given your details (you don't have to give your full address, just house number and postcode will do), they will send you an email with a link in it. Once you click on that link, you'll have signed the petition.

The government's 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 £200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly  bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid £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 in time you can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill. 

If you care about our freedom and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website (link below) and pass this on to as many people as possible.
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/




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17 Feb 2007 11:14 PM by jillb Star rating in bury st edmunds/Loma.... 52 posts Send private message

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Hi Janice,

Hope all ok with you, have signed, and forwarded to all my contacts, noticed there are over 1,000000 sigs, so hopefully it will not be introduced!!

Jill




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18 Feb 2007 12:04 PM by colesfamilywales Star rating in Pontypridd. 75 posts Send private message

Not wishing to get political but this is one of the reasons we are looking to move out of the UK in the next few years.

The system has gone to pot and with the population increasing and the Govt letting everyone in - not meant to be a racist remark, just fact- no wonder there is pressure on the whole system : land, health, crime, policing, schools, transport .....

If we could see benefits with all the stealth taxes we pay, then fine but this is a nonsense...and just a nice little earner attacking the motorist yet again. What options do we have in moving around the country ?

 

 




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18 Feb 2007 12:25 PM by thehalls Star rating in Lomas de Cabo Roig, .... 47 posts Send private message

I caught the tail-end of Sky News this morning, and it seems Tony Blair is to reply to over 1 million emails received on this subject !!!!  Look forward to receiving his personal reply !!



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18 Feb 2007 3:01 PM by xetog Star rating in Wiltshire/holiday ap.... 514 posts Send private message

It's not just the cost, although for people in rural communities where I live, who need to get to work, it's bad enough, and it is not just political (do we have a rule on EOS that says no politics?).  Goodness knows some way has to be found to prevent the congestion, but these people are control frieks.  They want to spy on so many things, where we are, what we do, how much rubbish we throw out and what sort of rubbish it is, what do the insides of our homes look like, have we made improvements, how much do we spend where do we spend it, can they get more? Is there no end to it?

There is no doubt that as we grow more crowded in these islands I guess there has to be some sort of control, but is all we can look forward to really legalised snooping?  It won't be long before we have to wear a mask with a meter so that we can be taxed on the air we breathe and don't worry there will always be places in our jails for those who infringe the rules, just let out more murderers and rapists, we independent thinkers are a far greater threat to the rule of big brother than the odd criminal on the rampage.

They wanted to introduce an ID card system that caused such a fuss that it was scaled back and sneaked in as a compulsory component of a new passport.  Personally I am determined NEVER to yield to any coercive organisation, in this case it is the New Labour Government, but if we let the genie out of the bottle it won't stop there!

This proposed road tax is simply a new way to control us and make a bit of money on the side.

Mike




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21 Feb 2007 9:52 AM by goodstich44 Star rating in northampton. 1648 posts Send private message

i signed the form, as i'm a driver and against 'big brother' as much as anyone, but at the same time i do feel that unless someone comes up with a better idea soon, then it will probably happen?  We have to do something, and surely the people/company's that use/pollute the roads the most, should pay the most. I realise they do in the fuel tax,  but i don't think that alone is enough? We dont want more roads/cars, we want more and better alternatives to get around. Decent cycle/moped paths might be a good start? I now  cycle to work, and counted 20 cars out of 23 this morning i went past in the traffic jam!, with 1 person in, and as they were heading for the town centre (about 3 miles max) i doubt any of them were going more than a fast walk/cycle distance? We all want freedom of choice, but that only works if we choose the right way!



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21 Feb 2007 11:36 AM by JeansSis Star rating. 2376 posts Send private message

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Just had email back from Tony !

E-petition: Response from the Prime Minister

The e-petition asking the Prime Minister to "Scrap the planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy" has now closed. This is a response from the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Thank you for taking the time to register your views about road pricing on the Downing Street website.

This petition was posted shortly before we published the Eddington Study, an independent review of Britain's transport network. This study set out long-term challenges and options for our transport network.

It made clear that congestion is a major problem to which there is no easy answer. One aspect of the study was highlighting how road pricing could provide a solution to these problems and that advances in technology put these plans within our reach. Of course it would be ten years or more before any national scheme was technologically, never mind politically, feasible.

That is the backdrop to this issue. As my response makes clear, this is not about imposing "stealth taxes" or introducing "Big Brother" surveillance. This is a complex subject, which cannot be resolved without a thorough investigation of all the options, combined with a full and frank debate about the choices we face at a local and national level. That's why I hope this detailed response will address your concerns and set out how we intend to take this issue forward. I see this email as the beginning, not the end of the debate, and the links below provide an opportunity for you to take it further.

But let me be clear straight away: we have not made any decision about national road pricing. Indeed we are simply not yet in a position to do so. We are, for now, working with some local authorities that are interested in establishing local schemes to help address local congestion problems. Pricing is not being forced on any area, but any schemes would teach us more about how road pricing would work and inform decisions on a national scheme. And funds raised from these local schemes will be used to improve transport in those areas.

One thing I suspect we can all agree is that congestion is bad. It's bad for business because it disrupts the delivery of goods and services. It affects people's quality of life. And it is bad for the environment. That is why tackling congestion is a key priority for any Government.

Congestion is predicted to increase by 25% by 2015. This is being driven by economic prosperity. There are 6 million more vehicles on the road now than in 1997, and predictions are that this trend will continue.

Part of the solution is to improve public transport, and to make the most of the existing road network. We have more than doubled investment since 1997, spending £2.5 billion this year on buses and over £4 billion on trains - helping to explain why more people are using them than for decades. And we're committed to sustaining this investment, with over £140 billion of investment planned between now and 2015. We're also putting a great deal of effort into improving traffic flows - for example, over 1000 Highways Agency Traffic Officers now help to keep motorway traffic moving.

But all the evidence shows that improving public transport and tackling traffic bottlenecks will not by themselves prevent congestion getting worse. So we have a difficult choice to make about how we tackle the expected increase in congestion. This is a challenge that all political leaders have to face up to, and not just in the UK. For example, road pricing schemes are already in operation in Italy, Norway and Singapore, and others, such as the Netherlands, are developing schemes. Towns and cities across the world are looking at road pricing as a means of addressing congestion.

One option would be to allow congestion to grow unchecked. Given the forecast growth in traffic, doing nothing would mean that journeys within and between cities would take longer, and be less reliable. I think that would be bad for businesses, individuals and the environment. And the costs on us all will be real - congestion could cost an extra £22 billion in wasted time in England by 2025, of which £10-12 billion would be the direct cost on businesses.

A second option would be to try to build our way out of congestion. We could, of course, add new lanes to our motorways, widen roads in our congested city centres, and build new routes across the countryside. Certainly in some places new capacity will be part of the story. That is why we are widening the M25, M1 and M62. But I think people agree that we cannot simply build more and more roads, particularly when the evidence suggests that traffic quickly grows to fill any new capacity.

Tackling congestion in this way would also be extremely costly, requiring substantial sums to be diverted from other services such as education and health, or increases in taxes. If I tell you that one mile of new motorway costs as much as £30m, you'll have an idea of the sums this approach would entail.

That is why I believe that at least we need to explore the contribution road pricing can make to tackling congestion. It would not be in anyone's interests, especially those of motorists, to slam the door shut on road pricing without exploring it further.

It has been calculated that a national scheme - as part of a wider package of measures - could cut congestion significantly through small changes in our overall travel patterns. But any technology used would have to give definite guarantees about privacy being protected - as it should be. Existing technologies, such as mobile phones and pay-as-you-drive insurance schemes, may well be able to play a role here, by ensuring that the Government doesn't hold information about where vehicles have been. But there may also be opportunities presented by developments in new technology. Just as new medical technology is changing the NHS, so there will be changes in the transport sector. Our aim is to relieve traffic jams, not create a "Big Brother" society.

I know many people's biggest worry about road pricing is that it will be a "stealth tax" on motorists. It won't. Road pricing is about tackling congestion.

Clearly if we decided to move towards a system of national road pricing, there could be a case for moving away from the current system of motoring taxation. This could mean that those who use their car less, or can travel at less congested times, in less congested areas, for example in rural areas, would benefit from lower motoring costs overall. Those who travel longer distances at peak times and in more congested areas would pay more. But those are decisions for the future. At this stage, when no firm decision has been taken as to whether we will move towards a national scheme, stories about possible costs are simply not credible, since they depend on so many variables yet to be investigated, never mind decided.

Before we take any decisions about a national pricing scheme, we know that we have to have a system that works. A system that respects our privacy as individuals. A system that is fair. I fully accept that we don't have all the answers yet. That is why we are not rushing headlong into a national road pricing scheme. Before we take any decisions there would be further consultations. The public will, of course, have their say, as will Parliament.

We want to continue this debate, so that we can build a consensus around the best way to reduce congestion, protect the environment and support our businesses. If you want to find out more, please visit the attached links to more detailed information, and which also give opportunities to engage in further debate.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Blair

Further information

Both the 10 Downing Street and Department for Transport websites offer much more information about road pricing.

This includes a range of independent viewpoints, both for and against.

You can also read the Eddington Report in full.

You can reply to this email by posting a question to Roads Minister Dr. Stephen Ladyman in a webchat on the No 10 website this Thursday.

There will be further opportunities in the coming months to get involved in the debate. You will receive one final e-mail from Downing Street to update you in due course.

If you would like to opt out of receiving further mail on this or any other petitions you signed, please email optout@petitions.pm.gov.uk





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21 Feb 2007 11:55 AM by FibbyUK Star rating in UK, Surrey & Playa F.... 2349 posts Send private message

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Me too!

Bet you didn't get the invite to dinner tho............................no, nor did I!!!


_______________________

FibbyUK

One off fee to pay your own La Renta tax (210 Form)
Check out my website:

http://www.payingtaxesinspain210form.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

 




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21 Feb 2007 12:33 PM by goodstich44 Star rating in northampton. 1648 posts Send private message

the response does show how tricky it will be to please the majority, in fact i doubt that's possible?. If (and it's a big IF) they keep to their word about the privacy issue, then unpolular as it is, i guess in some form, tax may be the only way forward for all countries that have any respect for pollution/congestion/environmentle issues?  I feel those that use it should pay for it.



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21 Feb 2007 8:34 PM by colesfamilywales Star rating in Pontypridd. 75 posts Send private message

Hi goodstitch44

Interesting debate, I don`t disagree with your principle "those who use it should pay for it", just  another view based on this principle.

Why should I pay a higher rate of tax just because I earn a particular income, should we not all pay the same and increase VAT to say 30% and then, "those who use it/ or consume it " pay

I have no objection in paying my way, but surely it should be the same for everyone and then you pay on what YOU decide to spend your earnings on...

By the way I am not wealthy and from a working class background, just worked my nuts of for 25 years or so to get what I earn only to give a lot of it away in higher tax.

Said in my previous post, not wishing to be political by the way !

Anthony

 

 

 




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22 Feb 2007 12:32 AM by goodstich44 Star rating in northampton. 1648 posts Send private message

Anthony

i see what you are saying, and i think you are probably right in theory, but i think that form of taxation is roughly how it used to work before a higher tax for bigger earners was introduced. The divide between the working man and the middle classes was huge when i was a young man. I consider my self 'working class', but with the exception of a large'ish  house/far away holidays, my life style is quite similar to my 'middle class' inlaws. They dont seem to suffer or complain at their tax bill, why should they?, they are not rich, but still comfortable enough even after their high tax bill.

By the way, i've been self employed for 17 years, most of that working my nuts off, so i know where you are coming from!,

................now then,  where's that push bike!




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