Why did you sign the travel tax petition?

im diabled live in the center ov leeds so what ever way i go i will be hit simplly becase ov were i live

When Tony takes the bus to his meetings, so will I. He is supposedly our leader so lead by example Tony. If the buses and trains are so great and perfectly clean and safe, lets see you use them day to day. Lead by example and get rid of the limos!! Road pricing is just another tax. Expensive to administer and allows endless streams of foreign trucks to travel without paying the tax.

A Bennetts in post number 31 has it right but hey, this tax is also about a few more 'jobs for the boys' isn't it. Currently one in four people in this country are employed in one form or another by the government or publicly funded organization. Nice way of keeping the unemployment figures down! Satallite system, little black box in every car, come on! This is expensive and easily cheatable lunacy. Oh and whats the carbon foot print of launching these extra satallites for the Galilaeo System and producing and distributing the little black boxes. I'll be interested to see who pays the most to get the contract to produce the black boxes and I'll put money on Capita being involved in the systems admistration.

I would not consider paying more tax. If the public transport alternative was available, I would use it. Where I live it is not. I am based north of Bristol and the traffic in the peak periods is heavy but my 15 minute each way commute by car (or motorcycle) turns into a nightmare of 1hr 30mins if I use public transport.

As a road safety measure, I think all pedestrians (including joggers) and cyclists should be prohibited by law from using / wearing personal hifi headsets pushing loud music into their ears because this completely isolates them mentally and in sound, from all other road users - most especially the quiter vehicles which may be approaching from behind.
Some years ago, I did not realise an ambulance was on an emergency call behind me because I was enjoying in-car music and the flashing lights were obscured by the small size of my rear window. It was a lesson I learn quickly.
These days I notice too many people just amble about all over our roads oblivious to the traffic because they have personal stereo headsets on.

What I want to know is - WHEN are we motorists going to stand together and say to the Government "You're not doing all this stuff to us any more". We pay through the nose to buy our transport because public transport doesn't take us where we need to go, we pay through the nose to road-tax it, to insure it against all the pedestrians and cyclists, to fuel it (more money than ever is going to the taxman), we pay through the nose to stop anywhere and park it, to garage it, to maintain it, to prove to Government that it is maintained, we pay if we digress from the speed limit by more than a mile or so per hour, we pay if we spend too much time looking at the speedometer (and crash) and now we pay to keep victims of serious crime (serious criminals don't have to do this) if we happen to do slightly over the limit and get fined for speeding. Cyclists want us to pay for their insurance so that if they mess-up and get hit, we pay. What else is there that we motorists could be made to pay for ? Breathing ? ? ?

When are motorists ever going to be let off the hook ? ?

1) If cars were more environmentally friendly say like hybrid cars we could reduce petrol consumption by half or more! - but where are the government incentives to the manufacturers, etc.? Seems to me that the Government is thinking more about retaining all its tax income than helping the environment. Demonising cars as agents of global warming is being too simplistic by far - governments need to get their heads around the holistic approach needed, not look for ways to raise more taxes to 'offset' climate change!
2) I wholly support the posts from other contributors re: in many places the car is the only solution. I live in a rural area primarily because I can afford a decent home here but not in the city. I would happily eschew travel by car to work but this is impossible - its 16 miles to the train station, 20 miles to the nearest bus to the city and no local bus connections to either! In strict financial terms the car is the cheapest option.
3) I require a car in my job to travel between building sites, where feasible I do take public transport, but its often simply not possible.
4) And what about five years down the road when cars are contributing less to the carbon footprint? - will taxes be cut? - I don't think that's a realistic hope. Best fight tooth and nail against every tax now.
5) A couple of things that could very quickly reduce car carbon emissions - ban the 'dropping the kids off at school' runs and make them walk or if that's not feasible, arrange school buses. Savings on carbon emissions and congestion would be enormous - just look at the changes to the congestion on the roads during the school holidays!

Why does the carbon footprint always relate to fuel consumption? Our Audi A8, highly taxed because its emissions are not so low is the only vehicle listed as 90% recyclable. "Green" cars (metal, not recyclable for much) run on highly toxic batteries which are piling up horrendous disposal problems for the future.

Fuel is burned unneccessarily in queues caused by bus lanes, asbestos dust is piling up from braking to accommodate traffic humps and CCTV cameras.

If there is a requirement to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads, grants for heavy industry to use canals and waterways as well as airships could cut significantly the number of lorries necessary for transporting non-perishable goods.

Public transport will never be a practical alternative to private cars as long as the routes do not correspond to where people actually want to go!

The govenrment is abusing its power. I read some where that there was a certain number of votes needed in order for them to scrap the pay as you go plans. That number was reached, yet they will still go through with their plans.

We already have something that charges us by the mile... it's called petrol... The more you drive the more you need, its not rocket science. I guess they think that the 64% of the tax they get on petrol is not making them enough money.

My wife works about 3 miles away from where we live. She can't drive so does rely on public transport. She catches a bus into the next village (which takes 30 minutes because it goes around all the streets in the area) she then waits at another open air bus stop (a bus stop with a sign, no cover to get out of the elements) for about 20 minutes for a connection. Eventually 1 hour 10 mins later she arrives at work.

It takes me 5 minutes to drive her to work. Sometimes the buses just don't turn up, making her wait a hour before another making her late for work. Sometimes they are full and the driver won't let her on.

My point being, if public transport was a) on time b) regular c) cheaper d)cleaner e) bus shelters instead of signs we might just get out of our cars and use them. Unfortunatley this isn't the case.

Secondly, taxing isn't the way forward, technology is the only way we will combat pollution. People who can afford to drive will, no matter how expensive it becomes, so the people who are on a lesser income are the only people that suffer.

Richard (it wouldn't allow me to put D**k!) Turpin comes to mind!

The only thing i hate in this world are these missinformed green people, The global warming thing is bieng turned ito a scam. It must be like mana from heaven to blair and co.

I don't think that there is any one system that will be entirely fair. However I do think that Road Tax levied solely on the amount (and type) of fuel used is the fairest that can be devised.
Such a system gives people a number of choices, such as restricting the mileage that they cover, using the cheapest fuels, using more fuel efficient vehicles, and travelling at sensible speeds to conserve fuel.

I agree with earlier comments about Brown being Scottish thus favouring his own people at the expense of the English. After all the English voted Conservative in the last election - which is why England is the only UK country not to have it's own devolved parliament, 1 which would therefore be Conservative & not do as it's told by Tony & his cronies - & why we now have a government comprised almost entirely of Scots passing laws that are mandatory in England but not in Scotland where they have thir own parliament!! What is not widely appreciated is that TONY BLAIR IS ALSO SCOTTISH - he just lost his accent, in order probably to make himself more electable. Another of the many ways he has hoodwinked Britain.

Big Brother Blair's control-freak regulation obsessed new labour takes another step towards a totally controlled Stalinist society. Sateliite tracking & monitoring of our every movement? We're already the most watched society in Europe if not the world: CCTV monitors us everywhere we walk now he wants to complete the piece by monitoring us everywhere we drive. The day Blair was elected was the end of personal freedom. The sooner the corrupt arrogant elected dictator & his cronies go the better.

why is this goverment encouraging people from northern europe to travel here to work and then finding every way possible to tax us for co2 emisions

If the government would actually do something about the state of the roads then I might feel better about paying more. I've only been back to driving for a week or so but I have memorised about 30 potholes on my route from West Lothian to Edinburgh and back!

Maybe the government should actually be pouring the money into green cars and petrol, or dare I say it a 24 hour public (reliable) transport system! I understand that my car will be taxed but I would like the option of not using it at all!

I feel a change to road taxing should be to abolish the Road fund Licence and increase the tax paid on Fuel. This would be a totally fair scheme. The more you drive the more you pay. The more economical your car the less you pay.

the road tax is a con as any brit knows we pay more than any eu country but G BROWN is a scot and if you look at the money he gices them it has to be paiyed for by guess who lets have a vote of no conveidance inhim and get english for england as they vote on us but we cant vote on them.

I believe that the taxation on road vehicles is being deliberately segmented so that people just don't realise how much tax they are really paying. It's much easier to charge 89.9p. a litre (how the heck do you get 0.1p. change on a litre?? Answer: you don't - the garages are ripping off us motorists) and pay a high percentage of tax on that, PLUS the soon to be raised £175 a year road tax, PLUS the proposed mileage tax (it is nothing more nor less than that). For example, people would end up thinking something like they did for the M6 Toll Road: £4.50 - cheap to get there quicker. No it ain't! It's in addition to the tax you've already paid to build new roads through the tax disc bit, plus you're still paying tax on your fuel.

If you add up ALL the taxes on your journey you'll probably find you're paying out something like 50% plus in taxes - and that is already in place.

We need a good integrated transport system (See Yes Prime Minister episode for govt. views on that one - they haven't changed, it seems) but what do the government do? They de-regulate it so we're back to where we were in the 1850s with lots of companies vying but not correlating their timetables.

And of course we need to get lorries off the roads. I travel a lot by motorways and for the majority of the time it's wall to wall huge lorries blocking the inside lane - and on one occasion none of them would let me into that lane to exit the motorway where I needed to, adding on more than 30 miles and an hour to my journey. Big stuff needs to be made to go by rail; rail needs to be made to give reasonable rates instead of requiring a gilt edged mortgage to send the goods; fares on public transport need to be reasonable (in my local area a return journey of 1.8 miles costs £1.35 - bit extortionate, Stagecoach). And we need buses to get us to work on time - the earliest bus in my village is 7.15 a.m. which gets into the nearest city too late for me to actually get a job there. Either that or a mile walk up a very steep hill to the nearest bus.

But what do we do - and this is my main grouse of all - we behave like BAAAAA lambs, following the rest of the flock mindlessly, saying things like: well you just have to do it don't you. No we blooming well don't. We have to kick back and make a fuss and complain and scream and ....... I'm sure you'll think of a few other things.

A few weeks ago, I got a reply e-mail from Tony Blair...or rather his office! I read the mail with great interest, thought about what was said and considered it to be, like most of what Blair's Government says, as lies and misleading statements designed to pull the wool over our eyes. So I decided to reply to "Tony"! In the reply I stated that I thought that this was yet another stealth tax to hit the softest target of all, the poor over taxed motorist. I complained about the fuel duty, road fund licence and the congestion charge, not to mention speed cameras! Whilst in rant mode, I also had a moan about taking our Country to war with Iraq; a was that the vast majority did not want the UK to become involved in, however, good old Tony knew best and threw his hat in with Big George. I asked the question, If you cannot keep the streets safe in your own country, what on earth gives you the right to invade another country to bring them law and order? Then I got started on the issue of asylum seekers, and the fact that we are living on an already over-populated island and cannot take anymore people.
All this from the threat of yet another tax!!! Strangely Mr Blair's office hasn't replied. I wonder why......................

I have a 2 litre volkswagon sharon. I do not use it to take my five children to school, nor do I use it for any short trips that are in walking distance as I dont mind walking, and I also never use public transport. I would not like to pay the travel tax as I think that I pay enough for the privilege of having my car now what with the road tax, insurance, petrol and the upkeep of the car such as mot and the service that I have done every year. Basically the car only goes out about twice a week once to do my weekly shop which I would not be able to get on a bus with nor be able to walk home with it as I have to cater for seven people and the other time is going out on a sunday. I think a lot of this arise because more and more people have 4x4s and big cars that people dont really need.

Its all good and well people saying that increasing tax is a good thing for motorists who drive but please spare a thought for people like myslef who live in the remote Highlands and Islands of Scotland where there is no train, no bus, no other public transport and we need a car to get around as it is essential. Also for example to go to the local supermarket (well its a small co op!) is a 3 hr round trip on single track roads so we need a car here. So any increase in my tax to pay for something which is essential here is not good it's all good and well environmental do gooders saying increase car taxes but what about the likes of me?

I just want to say, I was one of those who did NOT get a response from Mr Bair, though I signed the petition. So I am inclined to agree with item 4002!
FIDDLED downwards.

REAL dedicated bus lanes, not just lines painted on the road, plus prority for buses equivalent to that given to trams would be a fast and eficient way to entice people out of cars and on to buses. Bring back the conducter to further increase efficiency. Many tram systems are proposed but the good old bus is far more flexible and would pay for itself in the long term. Most buses today run nearly empty except for pensioners on free passes.

I'd like to be able to use Public transport more but round here it's almost impossible, and the roads are unfit for cars so impossible for bikes, just not safe.
I have to run a car for work, but we'v only the one car, me and my husband sharing as much as possible and John often using his bike as I have to have the car, we swapped to Diesel but unfortunatly the car has to be Big, I needed the boot space and the ability to take 5 big adults about ( Not a Chelsey Tractor but a saloon )
We'v searched and searched for an answere but untill the car companies develop more economical eco friendly vehicals and the government put money back into our public transport then I like many have my hands Tied, The knowledge is out there to solve this, and I would not object to being taxed if it was not so unjust , infact if the greedy manufacturers and the government wanted a solution they could find one, not by more taxes but by wize spending and better planning.
The same argument goes for our waste!

I have never felt the desire or need to get involved in anything like this before but I'm amazed at how naive so many comments are.

Life is very different for each and every one of us... yes, granted, there are some of us who use our cars on short runs where we may have been able to walk.... but other costs have soared in recent years too meaning that people like myself DO make more thought as to whether the car was appropriate or not.

I have a regional job but do not have a company car.... I am only able to claim 28p per mile from the company which are a not-for-profit organisation. Not ALL of us will just be "putting it through expenses" and will bare any extras ourselves.

I am a single parent as well as being a carer for my elderly mother who lives with me and get no support from ANYWHERE..... I depend on my job.....which depends on my car.

Maybe some of our large corporations should look at transferring several staff to more local bases - as I'm sure we all cross each others paths on the daily trek to work.

I also agree with a more flexible and trusting attitude from employers in terms of occassional home working.

Unfortunately gone are the days when we were born, married, bred, worked, retired and died in the same community.

British business needs are very demanding on their staff and we are not all on a 9-5 shift in one set base either..... we MUST have the flexibilty of single user car use just to cope with these demands.

A little more of a realistic and open minded view would be appreciated by others- we are all unique, with different views and experiences..... isn't that what we strive to achieve in this country of ours?

Terence, never has a truer word been spoken. It was a sad day for all when we became 'Blairs Britain'.

I have read all the blogs with interest,and as one who has used public transport,but now require a car because it takes longer and costs more to travel to work and as a Public health officer could not do my work without one.
The only problem I see with comments made about disabled blue badges is that active members of a family use the badge when they should not do so-this I have seen many times and it does give badge holders a bad name.I have also seen the commments regarding Mrs Thatcher,however since the Labour Government has been in power taxes have gone up some 40% I have less disposable income now than previously.I agree that something must be done about reducing emmission and paying for fuel as you use it is the best idea-also all Governemnt officials should give up their large vehicles and more products should go my rail than by large trucks,and bring back the rail car transports for the long journeys.

I live in the sticks. We have 2 buses per day. No other transport infrastructure.

How, then, can those who live in rural areas; of which there are millions(!), possibly compare with those who live in a city. To be taxed per mile will surely mean that for example a 20 mile round trip to the supermarket will, over the course of a period of time cost me significantly more than my urban friends. Irrespective of my financial status - whether I'm rich or poor, this can in no way be a fair tax. Also, where's all this extra money going? Will it be like the airline 'environmental tax' of which not a penny is going to the envorinment. Mr. Brown, I wouldn't mind so much if I knew the money was going into the roads, environment, or to putting on more buses for me and my 'lazy' friends to carry bags of shopping home on, but the fact of the matter - and I think you'll agree - is that normal life in such areas cannot be conducted without the ownership and reasonable use of a car. Not everyone lives in London!

scrap all the fancy idea's and put all motoring costs on the price of petrol (ie road tax, fuel tax and insurance then we all pay the same for driving, if necessary you can load less experienced drivers as necessary. )

One consequence of road pricing by distance would be the popularity of the shortest routes for any given journey. This would mean that in rural areas such as Norfolk, all the single track inter-village 'roads' would become congested. Rat running would spread to the countryside in an attempt for drivers to find the shortest routes.

You must have realised that there are some of us who would actually benefit from such a scheme? My wife, in her beloved Mini, does only 800 miles PER YEAR! I do more like 2,000, but suppose that I also would end up on the right side of the deal. You may correctly deduce from this that we are both around 80 years old and therefore OAP's. Everyone is inclined to vote in their own interests - even those voting against this scheme are doing so out of self-interest. Of course, being a Government undertaking, it will take so many years to get under way that we will not be around to take advantage of it!

for people who work for a living a car should not be seen as a luxuary especially for people who work shifts i rely on my car for work as the public transport is unable to get me to work on a morning shift

i have seen some silly comments about there are trains enough for everybody and we should all use them, which simply is untrue. take the cambridge to london half the people who commute form there have to stand all the way, surly thats not right. yes add more carrages so every one can sit but you can't add to many because trains have to be a certain distance apart when tavlling at speed. it is also more expensive to travel by train not to mention loud and unfriendly.
People need to start sharing there rides more to work there are to many single drives on the road, to many cars in one house hold.
You could easily have a family of four with children still living at home above 17 and all four people will have a car and quite offen 4-6 cars in this one house hold this is a big problem.
whemn i lived in bermuda in the 90's there was and is to this day a law which allows only one car per house hold and if you wanted transport then you would have to buy a moped, motorcycle or take the bus.
More pople should bike into work i took my license for motorbike last year to get form work and back.

i would also like to Know where all the road tax money has gone to improve roads and service if there are so many cars where is all the money and why do we not have better road systems.

there are also far to many trucks on the roads that should be using frate trains.

To make the people who use the roads most there should only be a tax on the fuel. That way, unless they are stealing the fuel, drivers using the roads most would pay the most.

Since public transport is expensive unreliable JOKE and the govenment seem to have the full intent to price all but the wealthest out their cars I think the best plan of action the rest of us can take is for us to give going to work altogether and sign on unemployed because the loss of all the tax revenue from the majority of us who can no longer afford to run a car would cripple the country

I am disabled and rely on my car to get me close to where I need to be without some sort of exemption for disabled people we would suffer even more than we already do - when people steal our parking spaces!

If the goverment or whoever wants people to stop using their own vehicles then public transport will have to be improved a considerable amount. I havent been on public transport since i passed my driving test and i would most certainly not even consider it. People are crammed onto stupid buses and trains like herds of sheep it is appalling. Anyone who thinks i would give up my car for public transport is very very mistaken! I dont think we should have to pay road tax we pay enough tax as it is, and what does that pay for? people who can not be bothered to get up and work hard to make a living.

It is just typical of our Government to think increases in tax are the solution to every problem, but all they want to do is make it hard to get the good things in life (beer, cheese, fireworks, pizza, etc.) So most people in the UK now are really sad and they need a Government that listens (democratic, not autocratic).

Taxes are simply a direct response to poor budgeting and could be greatly reduced if spending was targeted at areas that required it.

It's a "lose lose" situation for British travellers.
We have to choose between expensive public transport up to 40p a mile for single journeys or perhaps 15p a mile in fuel for a little family car but with hefty taxes and insurance added.

However, we can argue that our Human Rights are being breached by a lousy Government that denies us "Freedom of Movement".

The "environment" is just an excuse to tax, because the Earth is "on a life support machine". Over 90% of global warming is natural anyway, so reducing carbon emissions isn't going to achieve anything in the long run.

I'm A CHILDRENS COMMUNITY NURSE,my base is in the centre of bham i have to provide a regional service for the whole of the west midlands like many other nurses, I dont have a choice about driving my car and doing my job!
as every trust is in deep trouble with finance they will not pay for any road tax for nurses to do our jobs.
Already we get a poor amount for petrol 43p a mile for standard users and 10p mile for lease car owners,we do not have the same benefit as company car users and as nhs staff do not have same tax benefits.
if this is introduced I will have to pay to go to work the alternative is I dont provide community care which is what this government want,and no! there is not a service that can replace mine or many other specialist srvices ..it will just disappear and patients will have to make more journeys to hospitals.
When ever these plans are put forward community staff are never taken into the equation.

I support the idea that there needs to be a rethink on the way that car travel is taxed. The current system is outdated. I believe the current road tax should be scrapped as, it is open to abuse by people that avoid paying the road fund license for their vehicle. Also, those that drive around in stolen unlicensed vehicles and prevent license theft. If this tax was added to the fuel instead it would make sure that everyone who is driving is paying the tax. This would also address issues on pay as you drive for environmental reasons. But, I DO NOT agree with tracking drivers by satelite. How far is big brother going to watch us?

I drive about about 30,000 miles per year, mostly within a 40 mile radius of my home and over main roads, side roads and country roads.
I have noticed that despite the amount of taxes we already pay, the roads are deteriorating alarmingly. The amount of dangerous potholes is a disgrace. Last year I hit a deep pothole and damaged two tyres beyond repair and there is rarely a day that goes by that I don't hit a pothole with such force that I worry about what it's done to the tyres, more so if its raining and the holes can't be seen. The wheel 'tracking' can't be checked every time you hit a massive hole, much to expensive.
So, last year, having paid road tax, tax to buy the car, tax on fuel, tax on having the car serviced and tax on insurance I also had to pay tax on the replacement tyres, tax on the tracking and tax on the wheel balancing that I would not have had to pay had the tax that I had already paid been used to maintain the roads.
While I waited for the breakdown truck to come and collect me, I also created my own bit of congestion by half blocking the road, which forced other cars to slow and stop and wait until it was clear to go round me.
But at least I didn't have to pay tax on the half day of business that I lost.
The other side of this is that friend hit a pothole on his motorcycle, came off and suffered head injuires.
If the politicians were serious about congestion one thing they could do is to scrap the 'Dartford Toll'. How many hours can you sit waiting to go through it when it's busy? What does this cost in wasted fuel and time, not to mention pollution.
Apparently the UK is responsible for about 2% of all the man made 'greenhouse gasses' and traffic in the UK is responsible for about 15% of our overall 2%, so even if we tax our motorists stupid we will still have little
impact on reducing these gasses.
We don't need any more taxes!!!!!

By adding a road tax to ease conjestion on Motorways is only going to add conjestion to small towns and villages as motorist seek alternative routes. If I was to use public transport to get to work, it would take me two trains, two bus rides and a long walk. Hence a travel time of 2 -1/2 hours for a 35 min journey. The amount of lottery funds that the government take each day let alone week should help with improving public and school transport.

I agree whole heartedly with most of what una said. Also what about reducing the tax on biodiesel and other greener fuels, and making them more available? Can't help thinking the government doesnt want to do that because of financial and political ties with oil producers. I want to buy green fuel, and can't unless i make my own and pay huge tax to the government for the pleasure.

I am in favour of a tax as you go system as most things in life now are based on that premis eg water meters,gas meters etc. The current system does not encourage economic use of the car because the only thing you can cut down on is petrol everything else you pay for wether you use the car or not,so for the system to work you must do away with vel's and fuel tax.Also cosider insurance costs related to usage.

If you want to cut pollution you need to cut fuel consumption.
The only way to control that is by issueing rations to users. Fuel has been successfully rationed in the past.
When you have used your ration you are dead until the next time period, unless you can buy some more from a person who does not use theirs.
Then very economical cars go further, heavy consumers go less far, it is self regulating.

Tax per mile devices are a very expensive waste of resources, simply tax the fuel, no-one can avoid that and vehicle sharing is encouraged.

Is this an issue about congestion, or an issue about pollution? Or is it really a way of getting the public to agree to pay more for fuel.

Think about it. The government gets huge revenue from fuel tax. It cannot afford to lose that revenue. Why else has any effort to introduce cars running on (non-taxable) alternative fuel been smothered at birth.

Cars - and aircraft - produce far less pollution than they did in years gone by, thankfully. Why should we give up our freedom to travel? Why should I not see my daughter who lives 700 miles away? If I am prepared to sit in congestion, why should I not be allowed to do so? Btw I would totally agree with previous comments that much of the congestion is deliberately caused by traffic lights.

Dr Beeching massacred our railway network in the 60s. The marshalling yards have been turned into housing estates (nice little earner there), the road haulage industry has a stranglehold on the movement of goods.

Call me cynical but I believe we are in the grip of a bunch of overpaid traffic consultants, who are primarily concerned with perpetuating their personal incomes, some 'not in the real world' academics who are primarily concerned with funding for their so-called research and a government which is using the green bandwagon as a means to extract more tax. Which will NOT be used to fund more and better public transport.

Do we have a comprehensive tram system in our major cities, with trams running every 5 minutes, costing just a few pence for each journey like in Helsinki or Prague?

Do we have huge free secure car parks at the terminal stations of the railway network like in Munich?

Do we have a railway network, serving every village, with frequent trains running early morning until late in the evenings costing next to nothing like in Bavaria? With specially designed carriages which take bicycles and pushchairs and wheelchairs?

Do we have a specifically built separate cycle tracks running alongside every road, like in Belgium and the Netherlands?

No no no no. Yet we seem prepared to contemplate spending billions on some terrifying big-brother tracking scheme.

I couldn't care more about the environment. I was recycling before the word was invented. I grow my own, walk, cycle, economise on every journey. I care passionately about the rainforests of the world being decimated, refuse to eat burgers, use only recycled paper.

Travel and transport is not a luxury in our present lifestyles. We have created a whole society which is dependent on transport - centralised hospitals, schools, shops. (We even had an economy which was dependent on building and selling cars: Vauxhall - Luton, Ford - Dagenham, Rover - Coventry etc.)

There are lots of other ways we can improve our effect on the environment without compromising our travelling. Tax is not the answer. It is unfair and it does absolutely nothing for the environment.

While i think that 'pay as you drive ' is a good thing, there will be those who either will not, or can not pay, just look at the outstanding motoring fines! Perhaps confiscation of vehicle might be the answer. With regards to the petition, I think the figures were fiddled, DOWNWARDS! I, and several friends and aquaintances, signed the petition, and were acknowledged, but not all of us received Tony's reply, was this because our names were removed from the p[etition?

Why does everyone get caught up in the case against 4X4 vehicles, there is nothing wrong with them, maybe in some locations it is a fashion statement, so is the Porsche and many other sports vehicles. I drive a Jeep Grand with a 2.7 Mercedes diesel engine and get up tp 36 miles per gallon which I consider quite economical and far more so than many vehicles currently on the roads. So why the big fuss I just don't understand? There are so many cars which are extremely uneconomical and we don't hear a fuss kicked up about them. I don't drive my Jeep to be big or flash, I just like 4X4 vehicles, for me they are roomy, comfotrable, practical especially with a family and very safe.

lease 4X4's alone and star looking at the real issues which is making the transport system safe, economical to travel on and attractive and relaible
enough for the public to want to travel on it.

As a Country we only contribute 2% to the World's pollution, we need to educate the countries which are causing the most damage, USA and China.

I don't agree with all this rubbish and especially the so called environmental Tax, just wake up to this massive con how can you be so blind !!!!!

The cost of setting up such a system would be horrendous! I already pay a fortune in fuel duty . Another"tax" would be a burden that would have to be passed on to already overtaxed customers.

Well, where do you start with road taxing........... If the present or future governmnet want get away with charging us drivers for the privilage of using the roads we have already paid for, then I think there needs to be a real shake up of the way in which the motor industry and drivers fund the highway agency.

Firstly, a method of ensuring all cars carry atleast third party insurance, unfortuantely the Aussies have us here as I understand as part of thier tax system the car automatically gets thid party insurance. Then if you do have to pay more for driving those extra miles then your premium shouldn't go up. WORTH A THOUGHT.

Secondly, if the charges are going to be as high as predicted then there needs to be a reduction in the charges being paid on fuel, we cann't have the treasury being paid twice can we.

Thirdly, toll roads should be encouraged as if we're going to have to pay someone to use a road it might as well be a private company rather the government atleast if you have a problem you'd stand a better chance of getting somewhere with your complaint.

Anyone else agree........... or disagree........