The next "congestion" charge - Pay to drive kids to school!

[DITTRICH]

So everybody will drop their kids off in the next street or round the corner so they don't have to park in the bays and pay the charge. Wait for the accident statistics for kids walking to school to rise and then see the political fallout. Its another tax. Luckily, my wife walks my son (7) to and from school every day as its only 5 minutes walk away.
Les

 

[jeremytaylor]

Our two older kids (5 and 8) walk to school and back every day, but there are certainly a good number of non-working parents who drive their kids a short distance for no good reason at all other than possibly laziness.

The other thing that astounds me is the age and size of kids that get trundled around in pushchairs rather than walking on their own two feet! No wonder child obesity is on the increase.

Exactly the same with us! Our kids (7, 6, 4) all walk (or scooter) 8 mins to the village school, passing other parents on the way who drive their kids to school. It's funny how the parents who drive are the largest , and their kids are similarly over-weight!

 

[Ratz]

Just another tax and requires people to police it. Starting to look like the YTS schemes of old, create a new law/tax - bingo employ another raft of civil servants to look after it - and look how good the employment figures are.

For my wife and I to be employed taxpayers and hit our requisite hours it would be illogical to walk our son to school in a 50 min round trip when his school in on our way to/from work. BUT we'll still have to pay this tax regardless.

Oh and we are all within a 'normal' BMI range .

 

[Mr E]

Our youngest (7) walks to school, either with me (if I'm working from home) or Grandma. The eldest (13) walks to the coach on his own as that picks up outside the village school.

The school has proposed a plan whereby everyone can park / drop off kids at the Village Hall (large car park, etc) and the kids can either be walked to school by the parents or join a supervised "train". You would not believe the whining that goes on about this from parents - "what if it's raining / cold / too hot / slightly windy?"

Sometimes circumstances dictate that we need to take kids to school in the car - for example, if the coach is delayed / breaks down then we have to drive the lad (and usually a few mates) 9 miles to his school. No problem with that. What winds me up is the cars (4x4 or not) blocking the pavements and junctions that make the journey more dangerous for those walking to school - especially when those vehicle journeys are completely unnecessary.

 

[st4]

IMO its another taxed aimed at people which our current government seems to dislike, the hard working middle classes with some affluence.

Whilst I beleive that it may be easier to walk the kids to school, or get them to walk, its still the parents discretion whether or not to drive them. These people with the high emissions cars for the school run tend to pay more tax than the average citizen, they should be appreciated more IMO and treated less disdainfully. This is very obviously another "social engineering" tax.

I would add that the "sort of kids" that are driven to school won't be the "sort of kids" out at 12am jumping on car bonnets.

By driving them in whatever car they have they are using fuel and hence being taxed (extortionately at that). No need for a double tax anyway.

 

[Mr E]

Whilst I beleive that it may be easier to walk the kids to school, or get them to walk, its still the parents discretion whether or not to drive them. These people with the high emissions cars for the school run tend to pay more tax than the average citizen, they should be appreciated more IMO and treated less disdainfully. This is very obviously another "social engineering" tax.

Except (and granted this is personal experience) this "discretion" impinges on the safety of other road users, both drivers and pedestrians - therefore I'd welcome such "social engineering" if it means that my (and others) children can have a safer journey to school.