Lewes MP: Road tolls are inevitable (From The Argus)
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Lewes MP: Road tolls are inevitable
2:05pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News
A transport minister has predicted the end of road tax and the increased use of toll roads as inevitable.
Lewes MP Norman Baker reportedly told the Daily Mail that a national system of road charging for every mile travelled was inevitable.
Mr Baker is reported to have said as motorists moved to greener cars such as electric vehicles, all parties would have to respond in changing the current method of taxation.
As part of the proposals, vehicle excise duty would be abolished and fuel duties lowered.
Comments(14)
Phani Tikkala
says...
3:01pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Hoarder12345444
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3:39pm Mon 24 Sep 12
gusset snatcher
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4:11pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Sussex jim
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4:16pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Hoarder12345444 wrote:I quite agree. When the expenditure on roads exceeds the tax revenue from road users, there may be a case for to tolls. But for now, when about 80% of taxes collected from motorists goes into the general pot to subsidise railways,buses and daft cycle schemes; also benefits, foreign aid,etc; all road tolls should be abolished .
Oh shutup Baker you fool. Like it would ever really happen. Don't we pay enough car tax and fuel duty to have the right to be on the roads??? Obviously not. You really are a despicable MP. You live in another universe, on your huge MP salary and expenses its no wonder you want to screw the motorist and every day person, won't affect you will it!!!
No more being screwed on the Dartford crossing, or paying to get into Wales.
And long live the Woolwich free ferry!
ruberducker
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4:36pm Mon 24 Sep 12
PETE OF QUEENS PARK
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5:26pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Thatsjustyummy
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6:22pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Maybe it was all a dream. Pretty disturbing dream if that moron was in it though.
nocando
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6:32pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Savage cuts to political expenditure please. Over priced and bloody useless.
HJarrs
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8:58pm Mon 24 Sep 12
Hard times
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9:17pm Mon 24 Sep 12
graham_Seagull
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7:51am Tue 25 Sep 12
At some point very soon there will be so many cars on the roads, the congestion so bad, that a politician will say;
'if you Mr Average Joe Bloggs can drive your car between these hours of the day and get a lower charge than compared to the current vehicle taxes, and we gurantee you minimal congestion, will you accept it?'
The answer will of course be 'YES PLEASE!!' as it will be the lessor of two evils at that time - the difference between not being able to travel somewhere without a significant delay due to congestion and being asked to pay for a minimal delay.
The only way to avoid that is by getting more people out of their cars, getting them on bikes, getting them on trains. In other words improving all other forms of alternative forms of transport.
Otherwise yes we're doomed to congestion charging and tolls, and all because some short sighted people complained about cycle lanes, and improving train services, and improving bus servcies and so on, because they cant see past the bonnet on the end of their car to where we are 'sleepwalking' to.....
Tallywhacker
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2:32pm Tue 25 Sep 12
graham_Seagull
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4:11pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Tallywhacker wrote:you proved my point, thanks!!!
The roads are not congested. There aren't too many cars on the road it's the times we all choose to travel. I work shifts and 99% of my travel is fine, no traffic no jams. Congestion is an effect not a cause. There is no place in the country where the roads are busy all the time so congested streets is a myth propagated by the government to get more tax. Just charging more does not remove the reason a road is busy in any way at all and until the causes are sorted out at certain times the road will still be busy no matter how much the government takes.
The roads are congested when the majority of people travel, ergo it is the majority of people who moan the roads are congested, not the minority who have the opportunity to vary their travel times outside of busy periods.
A congestion charge would force people to consider other times to travel, and to consider other means to get to where they need to...thats the point of a congestion charge ;)
NickBrt says...
2:16pm Mon 24 Sep 12