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Does anyone not think this is a method to fund the war in iraq????

I personally have a car and a work van is run my own entertainments company and would have to pass the costs on to customers, this will be the same in all industrys EVERYTHING will go up in price, does your post get to the postman on a bus????? will the buses pay per mile???

and for the person that said under 21's should be the only people on pay as you drive people like that man make me sick i am 19yrs old and TW*TS like him should be put down,

I have no faith that the government will ever listen to what the masses want or dont want!
but I would also like to give the bus riders who are for this a good slap, when you live in the sticks where busses do not exist on a sunday untill after 1 pm how the hell are you supposed to carry on with your shift working week so you can also pay more taxes, or maybe your employer does not tolerate lateness, have you ever come close to losing your job because public transport is so unreliable its 50 50 whether it turns up or not, where does that leave me, unemployed thats where!!!!

Only a simpleton whould believe that road tax and/or fuel tax will be replaced by this "movement monitoring and tax law, and as for using public transport - I would if there was any available.

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To put it simply, the concept of road-charging is just another tax system for Government. If they spent some more of our Road Tax on roads the problem would not exist. The sooner Blair clears off to the States, with his half-wit hero (Thatcher) the better.

No consideration has been given to the people who live in rural areas where public transport is virtually non existant.

I feel that "Road Taxing" should be done via a fuel tax for everyone, the more fuel you buy the more you pay in tax, that way, those that spend all day sat in traffic jams burning up fuel and going nowhere, will pay more. Those of us that try to travel out of peak times will pay less.
Also, those with gas guzzlers pay more, those with economic cars pay less
Can it really be that simple?

send or none britt born back were they come from then there will be less cars on road and there will be more homes thats whats wrong to many none britts here. so whats is this tax for to stop me going to work i think so or is it for congestion or is it for the ozone or is it for my money. gov make up your mind your just a f**king con. or is it that now with no one smoking they need your money.

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I want two simple questions answered by any mp or pm with a simple Yes or No:-

Q1. Will your party (Labour, Con, Lib Dem, etc ,etc) introduce road pricing?

A1. Yes or No

Q2. Will your party introduce road pricing via back door trials being carried out by local Councils?

A2. Yes or No

In either order.

Finally, as a very simple, non-radicle and straight forward suggestion, of the billions raised in RFL per annum spend 65%+ off the revenue raised from RFL on new roads & general upkeep/repairs. Then spend the remaining on improving Rail links only, as the roads are already blocked with empty Coaches & Buses filling in for trains!.

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If the tax on fuel and cars were to be scrapped thereby making fuel cheaper, then I really believe that charging per mile would work. I live inthe country with poor bus services. If the government want to get us out of our cars then make public transport more accesible, safe and fast and use the well tried method of park and ride which works incredibly well in so many European cities.

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No I didn't sign the petition because this is a tricky one. In principle, I favour the notion of people paying proportionately for the damage they do to the environment. I therefore take the view that the current road tax system is unfair because everyone pays the same and no account is taken of miles driven — a sales rep pays the same as a train commuter living close to a town centre (and who therefore mostly walks everywhere); fuel duty is fairer in that the more you consume, the more tax you pay.

The problem with the current proposal is that in-car monitoring devices would be capable of relaying information to the authorities about the specific whereabouts of individuals whilst they are motoring which could be deemed an infringement of personal rights; the arguments for and against are much the same as identity cards. A subsidiary issue is the prohibitive cost of installing such a device, esp. if it were to become compulsory to do so with the costs being borne by the driver/car owner.

A fairer system would be to pay for the miles you drive when you buy your petrol. Filling stations could be kitted out with Govt. computery which, based on the make and model, could use the vehicle's average mpg to calculate the mileage potential of fuel as it is put in the tank and purchased; drivers could buy their miles with their fuel and the filling stations could pass the fees collected to a government agency. There may be problems with this idea but, so far, it seems to be the fairest I can come up with.

I didn't sign the petition although I do believe road usage by cars must be reduced.
I do not think such a method is a responsible way of petitioning. It has too many of the hallmarks of the dreaded chain letter.

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Pure greed from the Government to try and put more tax on road users. You only have to think for a short time and realise that this tax will hit everyone. Lorries will bare the brunt of this tax and lorries deliver to the stores we use, so transport charge the stores the stores charge the customer. We all will pay.
Is there anything that this government will leave alone?
If only they could spend more of the current tax to make the traffic flow more easily and improve public transport as well things may look better.
R W Paul
Leicestershire

I still not received a satisfactory answer from either the Prime Minister nor the Department of Transport with reference to disabled drivers. At the moment, disabled drivers do not pay car tax and do not need to pay for the congestion charge in London. The whole reason for us disabled driver to belong to the motability scheme, is to allow us a choice, a thing the government keeps harping on about (Everyone has the right to Choice). Being in a wheelchair, for me to do a simple trip from my home in Ash Vale to London, I have to drive to Guildford and catch a train. For this service, I have to book at least 48 hours in advance. I cannot get on local buses as, either they do not have the kneel down or ramp buses or, when they do put a bus on capable of taking a wheelchair, the bus is full. How then am I expected along with other disabled drivers, of getting to regular hospital appointments. The ambulance service wont provide a transport service because I have a motability car. Eitherway, I am damned if I dont have a car or I am damned if I do.

Has this Government EVER lept any single promise came to power?.We have lost our identity in not so "Great" Britain. If Blaiw wans to push anything through the House of Comons, all he has to do is use the 1947 Act, Job Done.

Has anone seenn MY rights lately.

How much revenue does the Govt take from road users ?
How much does the Govt spend on road users ? ?
WHERE does the massive excess go.

What public transport ? It is a rip off so people dont use it unless forced to.

The principle of the more you use, the more you pay is fine, but put all the tax on petrol/diesel/LPG etc. It's no longer a pollution issue (this is still a problem) but it's a method to tackle congestion. The people who use the roads the most - taxi's, lorries, reps etc should pay the most to the upkeep and for thier contribution to the congestion. For instance, I congest the roads for 10 mins in the morning and 10 mins in the evening. People who drive for a living congest all the time, let them pay more for the privalege and for the upkeep by adding the tax to the fuel. However, until the government actually put a sensible amount of money into alternatives to car use, people will continue to use them. If a suitable cyle path was in place, I could ride to work in 20 mins, and I would do it. Unfortunately, the chance of serious injury on the roads prevents me from doing this.
Another advantage of taxing the fuel, is tax dodgers could no longer dodge.
Finally, if everone was serious about this, then we should all stop using our cars for 1 week, all at the same time, this would create a dent in the tax revenues from fuel and massively overload the public transport system, which the govermnet are trying so hard to get us on. It would simply prove a point.

hi regarding question 1 using public transport its ok saying that every one should use it, but that would be ok if we had a reliable service to start with ,not only that what would happen to your post ,all your shopping needs because EVERY THING IS MOVED BY ROAD you say we should use public transport but look at all the recent accidents I,E TRAIN CRASHES NOT ONLY THE OTHER DAY ONE HAPPEND you still say we should use it come on get a life the days have gone to when you could catch a bus or a tram every 2 mins for gods sake we cant even walk the streets at night never mind wait for a bus, come on wake up to reality this is 2007 not 1937

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I have a choice of methods to get to work; 45 minutes in the car or 2 hours 15 minutes on public transport with a 10 minute taxi journey at the end of it. Think I know which option I will stick with. As for taxing car use, until they can come up with sensible, viable transport options they can stick their additional stealth tax where the sun doesn't shine.

I must say that any new tax which seeks to potentially alleviate any impending increase in fuel duty is a good idea. As the driver of high consumption vehicles (gas-guzzling) I am already taxed by the mile on my fuel consumption which is obviously high. I travel the length and breadth of the country as part of my job. Any new tax which dis-regards the vehicle type itself (and consumption thereof) and is a flat tax for the mileage and roads travelled on is a good idea.

We own a 4 x 4 which is used mainly in the summer months to tow a caravan for holidays in the UK, therefore supporting greatly British Tourism. The car has not been used hardly since last October as we have a Nissan Micra as a car for everyday use. But, where possible we use public transport with our recently obtained bus passes. A massive number of caravan users, young and old alike, will be penalised big time if this tax comes into force. An alternative might be, that as we live near the port of Dover, how about charging a toll for foreign vehicles. As at 12/12/06, 9,878 lorries per DAY passed through the port and is predicted to double in the next 30 years. How about that for alternative revenue.

Eek, there is a lot of extremist talk on this subject. I am self-employed and could not operate without my car. I don't work in one place and public transport to so many locations would mean I would be travelling most of the day and never home before my daughter goes to bed. Although none of us enjoy sitting in traffic at present you know what you are signing up for. If you need to travel at rush hour, there is going to be a bit of sitting and waiting. Big deal! Get over it! I think the current system is fine and it is silliness to change it. However, if the Government need to generate more revenue to develop public transport then I think more speed cameras are the answer - this will make the roads safer for our children and generate a hefty income from people who drive like fools!! I would like to respond to those of you who think those who don't use public transport are selfish. If you are female and live where I do, it simply isn't safe to venture onto public transport outside of daylight hours.

For most people the times and places they travel by car are not a matter of choice, e.g. for work. That's why rush hours exist. There already exists a perfectly fair and simple method of charging for journies in the form of fuel duty etc. This is already at ahigh enough level that if a reasonable proportion of it was acyually spent on a combination of new/improved roads (90% + of journies are by road: accept it, don't condemn it) and improved railways and other public transport, all suffereing from serious underinvestment in infrastructure for years, there wouldn't be such a problem. This is worsened by so-called traffic calming that actually causes congestion by restricting flow. People talk of the higher level of public transport spending in European countries while failing to mention that those same countries invest in decent road networks too. No thanks, I don't want my civil liberties further curtailed by tracking devices. Incidently, the way the railways charge for peak travel proves that the concept doesn't work.

Have three small children have to (by law and common sense) have a car big enough to fit three full size child seats. Hoe am I supposed to get them around in a small fuel efficient car. I have no option but to use an MPV or similar yet I'm criticised for it. I bet the same people would have a field day if I let the children sit in a smaller car with lap belts but not enough room for car seats and had an accident!

i think that most twits who think that everyone without exception should get out of their cars should try living in a rural area , where the local transport services are at best abysmal and at worst non existant, i personally start work at 5 am and most rural bus drivers are not even awake at this time let alone working, i dont drive because i want to , only because i have to , besides which the fares are extremely high

Cars are a necessary 'evil' as it's impossible to cover the entire country, every village and hamlet etc., with public transport. Even more so given that is all private and therefore profit led - 'they' won't run a bus to xyzville for one or two people because it's not financially viable. But there should be no excuse for driving in a city - 9 out of 10 journeys, in a city, could I'm sure be done on public transport.

What's needed is a more integrated public transport/car useage policy. For instance I live in a small Nottinghamshire village and work in Nottingham itself. I can't get to work and reliably get home (due to the timetables and the fact my finish time varies) entirely by public transport so I have to use my car to get to a park and ride then use an extremely over crowded tram to get in to the city. The all public transport option would have me using a bus or train to get to the nearby main town, then the tram. That's fine in the morning, but of an evening there is only one train that stops in my village and only one bus per hour - miss those, I may as well walk the 5 miles. Worse yet each service has its own ticket, I can't buy a single ticket for use on them all.

But to drive to the park and ride I must pass through areas that are designated high volume traffic black spots and therefore may incur congestion charging. Great - I try to do the 'right thing' and use public transport and still may be charged for it!

Congestion charging will achieve just one thing - I've seen it in other countries with toll roads - opening up the roads for the rich and leaving the poorer folk, with no choice, on the over-crowded minor roads. Side effect of that, of course, is there'll be more 'rat-runs' through areas previously left quiet of traffic.

The only fair tax, I believe, for vehicles is road tax. All other vehicle related tax or charges should be dropped. Drop the tax disk, etc., and only take tax from petrol. Simple. The more you use the car, the more you pay, across the board. That way those that drive one mile to the shops (like my neighbours) get charged for it.

Unify the system, accept that people need to use cars, but try to limit unnecessary use and really work on public transport as a viable option. Going back to the train/tram business I need to use (assuming I don't drive to the park and ride) if I miss the first of three possible trains to get me to the town I need to pick up the tram each following train arrives 2 minutes after the connecting tram has left! How stupid is that? And it's because there is, as I say, no unified transport policy instead there are a heap of profiteering companies all doing their own thing without trying to link that in with other services.

David (16th February) states 'one selfish driver when referring to car users. According to a poll carried out by (I think, in April 2006) the AA road unit, some 16 million drivers use their cars as transport for assisting people less fortunate than themselves. However, whilst the general gist of the argument is fine, why don't we use public transport.
Could it be that British Rail (by any other name) is so damned expensive, so unreliable, so overcrowded and when you do finally get to your chosen city what do you do? Get e cheap urban rail link to where you are going (No, because Lord Beeching saw them off) No you have to get a taxi or hire a car because again, the local public traansport, is vastly overpriced and unreliable.

I lived in Germany in the 1960s for about 8 years. Even back in those medievil times, public transport was brilliant. Trains ran and still run, on time, they are far less expensive than the UK, local buses always link up at rail stations and are incredibly inexpensive (pay a flat fee and use the local buses all day, change services, go whever you want in the locality, ALL ON THE SAME TICKET!
Must be a reason we Brits don't like public transport, wonder why it is.

But to be fair, a very large percentage of road users do not do themselves any favours. After travelling Asia and Europe over the past 30 years, using all possible combinations of transport, is it any wonder that everybody, (including the perpetraitors!) complain when we Brits drive as we do, mostly with no regard for other road users at all, and we can't even shop locally without the car (OK, again, Supermarkets take note, your fault here too)

Europeans drive with the utmost regard for other road users (except when in the Paris rush hour - but being a loony then is obligatory) They all speed, same as we do, use their cars unnessarily, but don't mind giving way and letting you pull in/out (good ole Brits again, quick drive 50mm from him in front in case some one wants to get thier 3 seconds before me.)

There is not a better solution on offer from any one, let alone a government hell bent on making a few bob extra by the minute out of drivers than the car, our pride and joy.....
Oh what the hell, carry on Dave,
We have the option (as Europeans currently enjoy) of using Biofuel, really inexpensive, 100% sustainable, 80% less damaging to the environment and what does the government do... whack a huge lump of disincentive on it called even more tax! Look around, how many bio fuels stops have you seen lately.
Manufacturers in Europe (VW, Mercedes to name a couple) actually make their cars to run on bio fuel. What have most of the others done? Added techmology in to the engine management sytem which immediately shuts the engine down if it detects any thing added to the fuel. Good aren't they.

David Hutchings asks, what % of road fund license is actually used on the roads.
Well David, for starters, speed cameras don't come out of the governments pockets but the revenue raised doesn't go towards road repairs etc either (they do not aid road safety either, yes, there is expert confirmation of this fact.)

Think abot this, and I am only using some guestimates but data is available, if you have 45 million cars on the roads in the UK (without HGVs, visitors from abroad) buying and they all purchase £10 worth of fuel a week (I use £100 worth) and the chancellors slice of this is approximately 80%, where on earth is it going because from the state of a very large % of our main road system, it certainly is not on road maintenance!
Incidentall David, Germany spends approximately 90% of all driver produced revenue on the road system in one way or another. (this may not all be on actual roads though) Info from a colleague working for local government on Bohn)

I just read one or two comments and so liked those of Una B posted on 16th Feb that I could do no better than reiterate them. Firstly walking is good...fun and free. Secondly those paranoids among us be reassured. I worked for local government for 30 years and no form of govt could organise a conspiracy its not that clever.

And lastly why not pay for what you use? The roads and infrastructure take a hell of a pounding and someone has to pay for it. Why not those who use it most? The petition was an attempt at cheap headlines by a little known group and becuase of our culability it worked - everyone's now heard of Motorists for Motor Cars!

642 i sort of agree with you but where has the goverment spent spent spent, it is not on the NHS or on our Schools or the Police so where?

The motor car has been the greatest liberating factor of the last 100 years. It has allowed working people to enjoy the freedom to travel that only the rich and privileged previously enjoyed. Road pricing is simply an excuse to raise more revenue by a government (and, unfortunately, an opposition) who have embraced the myth of man-made global warming as an excuse to increase taxes.
If the climate is changing then it's a natural phenomenon and has little or nothing to do with man-made gases. There has always been climate change and it will continue in the future but as many scientists will tell you (but theydon't get government grants for doing so) there is nothing we can do about it. We adapted in the past and will do in the future and the idea that slapping extra taxation on travel will make any difference at all is simply another in a long line of state sponsored lies (Salmonella in eggs will kill us all, BSE will kill us all, Aids will kill us all, the Russians will kill us all etc. etc.)
We need to stop believing everything that the eco-terrorists spout out and start fighting back.

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