Government Road Tax Petition

[mmh]

Right, i dont usually forward these, but this got posted on a forum i visit, and as its a government website that the petition is on, i went for it.

so all you drivers really do need to sign this!! we shouldn't have to be taxed on what roads we use, and have tracking devices implanted in our cars (automatic systems no less will be put on the trackers to view how fast cars are going on which roads... so break the speed limit, even accidently, or to avoid an accident, and BAM, NIP through the post - judge dredd swearing machine anyone?)

right heres the link:

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

Heres the information i was shown:

This is the biggest move to tax & infringe on privacy ever proposed in this Country!

Best sell your fast car ASAP as it wont be worth buttons if this happens!

No apologies for sending this on...This may not interest you and if it doesn't please simply delete it - if you're a motorist, read on and do your duty!

It was stated on the news this morning (27th November 2006) one of the reasons this proposal has been suggested was to raise money for possible road building and improvements to existing roads. It should be noted that all the money currently collected by the DVLA for road fund licences, only 23% - 24% is actually spent on road building and improvements!

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 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 an NIP with your monthly bill. If you care about our freedoms and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website, sign up here http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

[GoNz0]

bring on the tracking device..

i dare say within 5 mins i have a switch hooked up to cut the power

[fuddam]

nice one. signed and forwarded

[kalniel]

and have tracking devices implanted in our cars (automatic systems no less will be put on the trackers to view how fast cars are going on which roads... so break the speed limit, even accidently, or to avoid an accident,

Sounds like a great idea, where's the petition in favour?

[5lab]

pff. i'm in favour of this. stop bloody bimmers pinging down the fast lane at a tonne

question is, what alternitives to cutting conjestion are there??

[mmh]

in favour of paying more for tax?

rather you than me.

[kalniel]

in favour of paying more for tax?

rather you than me.

Who said it'd be more? I'm in favour of smarter tax rather than a flat out fee, and certainly I'm in favour of something that might make people drive better and obey the laws of the road, plus encourage alternatives to driving.

[5lab]

its not like tax just dissappears - it doesnt vaporise or go to a bunch of shareholders. it all just goes back to the community. if you dont like tax, and the benefits it provides (free healthcare and education) then move to the states..

[mmh]

its not like tax just dissappears - it doesnt vaporise or go to a bunch of shareholders. it all just goes back to the community. if you dont like tax, and the benefits it provides (free healthcare and education) then move to the states..

Im working on it!

[JPreston]

its not like tax just dissappears - it doesnt vaporise or go to a bunch of shareholders. it all just goes back to the community. if you dont like tax, and the benefits it provides (free healthcare and education) then move to the states..

Spot on!

[Digerati]

its not like tax just dissappears - it doesnt vaporise or go to a bunch of shareholders. it all just goes back to the community. if you dont like tax, and the benefits it provides (free healthcare and education) then move to the states..

For me its more how its spent back on the community. I tend to complain when tax goes up because I know that my money will go towards giving drug addicts free heroin rather then giving our boys out in Iraq better equipment.

[GoNz0]

pff. i'm in favour of this. stop bloody bimmers pinging down the fast lane at a tonne

like i said, give me 5 mins and it will be deactivated

[dkmech]

Who said it'd be more? I'm in favour of smarter tax rather than a flat out fee, and certainly I'm in favour of something that might make people drive better and obey the laws of the road, plus encourage alternatives to driving.

The person who said that it'll be £28 a month for a rural florist. I guess its an estimated example of a low usage scenario. This works out as £336 per year which if I am not mistaken is a bit more than say £175 a year for a car above 1.5L we pay at the moment (correct me if I am wrong here).

A normal user (that mum taking kids to school) pays £1032 a year... That's not more than 175 either...

People say - "what are the alternatives?" Well this tax hike isn't an alternative is it. It's just forcing pretty much everyone to pay more (ok some may benefit but i bet on average it will be way more than it is now). Maybe cheap and efficient public transport could be an answer, maybe it needs to be nationlised again.

I have to go from Swansea to Kent to visit head office (its right next to Brands Hatch) - I can drive there, which will cost me about £60 for the return trip in my 2.2L Prelude (yes its a long drive but I can take breaks when I want and time the journey to suit me). If I want to be in Kent by 11am this Friday and return the same day the train ticket will cost me at least £158 just to London, where I will have to pay another £5-£10-£whatever to get a transfer to whatever small station I need to get to, then I need to arrange for my boss to pick me up from the station... So thats about three times less than by train with me going on my own in a not all that economical car... If I used a diesel or say my old 106 it'd probably cost £40. If I went with one more person it would be £30 per head in the Prelude... On a train - £316... Yes, this is a journey at peak times... But I can't help it, I am needed there on this specific day. As it happens I may end up going by train as the company pays for it - if it was coming out of my pocket no way would I pay an extra £100 for a train fare...

So forgive me if I am a bit skeptical when it comes to using tax to force people to stop doing something essential without providing alternatives. And why should it be people who can't afford to live next to their place of work who will have to pay the most for "education and heroin"?

[Konan555]

in favour of paying more for tax?

rather you than me.

Should bring mine down to under a quater of what I pay now.

Of course, it'd take so long to implement I wouldn't even BEGIN to waste my time filling in rediculous online petitions so early on.

[dave87]

Would it actually take that long to implement though?

Think about it - GPS devices are pretty common, so the technology is there. The insurers have already begun to pilot it, how long before the government can do the same?

I'm against it purely because I want to travel anytime of the day, go where-ever I want without big brother watching me. How many people have gone a bit quick down country lanes? nothing massive, but enough to get a NIP through the post - all of us I would have thought.

The road safety bunch'll be out in force - suggesting that young drivers shouldn't be allowed to drive on main roads, or not allowed to drive after certain hours, etc - that would actually be possible to implement with such a system.

If it does come, I think it will be the least of our worries. 1984 anyone?

[BenW]

I'm against it unless the revise the speed limits at the same time