Road Charging petition - please sign!

[SirusVirus]

I'm not sure if this has been posted, i did a search to yield no results, however the goverment plans to introduce a vehicle tracking and taxation for the amount you drive in the UK, and well i think this is ridiculous.

The petition has been online for a while, but it closes the 20th of february...

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 £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 Mum 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 you can expect aNIP with your monthly bill.
If you care about our freedoms and stopping the constant bashing of the cardriver, please sign the petition on No 10s new website

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/


If this goes ahead, this will be another thing to add to this countries s**t list!

[Agent]

It.Will.Never.Happen.

P.S - If you dont pass this message on to 628 people within 16 seconds, you will be unlucky in love for 76 months, 2 days and 4 hours.

[kasavien]

Originally Posted by Agent

It.Will.Never.Happen.

P.S - If you dont pass this message on to 628 people within 16 seconds, you will be unlucky in love for 76 months, 2 days and 4 hours.

I think you're incorrect it's 76months, 2 days, 4 hours and 45 minutes. revision makes me board

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by SirusVirus

I'm not sure if this has been posted

I'm pretty sure it has.

however the goverment plans to introduce a vehicle tracking and taxation for the amount you drive in the UK, and well i think this is ridiculous.

I think it's a great idea.

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 £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 Mum who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month.

It's not likely to cost that much - I'll probably save money on it for example.

On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked.

Good - might cut down on the number of idiots on the road.

Somebody will know where you are at all times.

And this worries me why?

They will also know how fast you have been going

Good.

so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit you can expect aNIP with your monthly bill.

No you can't. Any speed tracking would most likely be average speeds with a % tolerance, just as they have in speed camera's. If you ever get fined by such a system then you were either deliberately going over the limit or so ignorant of your speed as to be driving without care and attention.

If you care about our freedoms and stopping the constant bashing of the cardriver

There is no bashing going on here. This scheme, unlikely as it is to happen, means only good things for the driver - fairer charges, less congestion, better journey times and less pollution. It could tell you about upcoming congestion, route you around accidents, remind you about speed limits so you're never missing the changes etc etc.

[[GSV]Trig]

Originally Posted by kalniel

There is no bashing going on here. This scheme, unlikely as it is to happen, means only good things for the driver - fairer charges, less congestion, better journey times and less pollution.

Disagree with that bit, motorists, drinkers and smokers always get hit.
Fuel tax goes up, road tax goes up, where does that money go?!
Yeah great the government rave on about using public transport and all this new fad carbon neutral crap but how much money do they really think they can get away with banging on things before the people say no more, lots, this country just moans no, nobody will actually stand up and say, no, were not taking your crap anymore...

[charleski]

Originally Posted by kalniel

Quote:
Somebody will know where you are at all times.
And this worries me why?

I don't run a car, so this wouldn't affect me, but there are significant civil liberties issues involved in tracking all private transport that are enough to condemn this scheme.

[kalniel]

Back to the half-full/half-empty arguement then.

To put my views in perspective you have to realise that I honestly think that the Governement (not any specific governement in power) don't exist to try and screw us all out of our money and make life worse for us. I don't see why they would. If taxes go up then I don't assume the money is going into some individuals pockets, I think an attempt will be made to use it to make life better for us.

And as for civil liberties, I don't see it as a breach to have someone know where I am - ultimately I think that kind of information only brings benefits to me when the people with access to it have benevolent intentions.

[chicken]

Originally Posted by kalniel

BTo put my views in perspective you have to realise that I honestly think that the Governement (not any specific governement in power) don't exist to try and screw us all out of our money and make life worse for us. I don't see why they would.

Originally Posted by TheSun

THE cost of fat cat MPs has soared to a record average of £204,025 EACH

Maybe not the best of papers for an example, but these types of figures I would say contradict that.

[midzt]

Thing is road pricing is tax neutral, so the government doesn't actually receive more money overall, also the moeny taken will most likely be hypothecated so itll mean better roads for us. Its a fairer way in which the people who cause the negative externalities pay for what they cause. Internalising these externalities is the key concept to these plans.
Yes there may be downsides, but if you'renot breaking the law, why would you care if they supposidly know where you are or how fast you're going? Don't give the a reason to track you then you wont be tracked.
Plus, if your car gets stolen, at least theres a quick way to know where it is.

[b0redom]

or if you're driving without valid tax/insurance...

[Richh]

Originally Posted by kalniel

ultimately I think that kind of information only brings benefits to me when the people with access to it have benevolent intentions.

You are confident that the only people with access to such information would have "benevolent intentions"?

[kalniel]

Yes.

I mean we can be tracked by our mobile phone usage already and I've not heard anything negative come out of it.

[SilentDeath]

I signed anyway, but im fairly sur ethis will never happen and is not even planned by the gov.

The only information fond on the subject was from a bbc program shown before the pre-budget report, yet there was nothing about it in this report.

If this does happen, without the device being subsidised I can tell you a lot of people will be driving without tax, and possibly even without insurance (since it will probably be void without a tracking device).

[charleski]

Originally Posted by kalniel

I mean we can be tracked by our mobile phone usage already and I've not heard anything negative come out of it.

Tracking someone by mobile phone requires a court order in which the police have to demonstrate probable cause. Car tracking data will be presented to the police on the off-chance that the driver broke some law, i.e. speeding. It's nothing more than a massive fishing-expedition which will inevitably be abused.

Information is power, and power corrupts. Good governance demands checks and balances on executive powers, and those aren't present here.

[Gumby]

On thing I've never understood is the UK' method of vehicle tax. I don't really think that the new proposed system is of any real merit. Why not follow suite from Switzerland and Austria by asking any vehicle that uses our roads to pay out "road tax"? That's only fair, after all. I mean European trucks and other vehicles on our roads are undoubtedly going to contribute to their disrepair, are they not?

[JPreston]

I'm normally very protective of my right to privacy and other civil liberties but don't have a problem with this.

Noone will know where I am - they will only know where my car is. And my car is in full public view nearly 24/7, with helpful plates front and back to identify it. I have more of a problem being surveilled by 1000's of CCTV cameras everywhere I walk. I'm not particularly sensitive about where I park.