bloodmoon
Active Member
Would you accept a toll system on Britain's roads?
1.Yes
2.Only if the road tax was lowered
3.Never!
1.Yes
2.Only if the road tax was lowered
3.Never!
Would you pay a toll to use the motorway?
GrahamC230K
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Voted Yes.
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
how about option 4,
as with every other stealth tax levied on the car driver we roll over and accept it as we are too apathetic to protest in any organised way preferrring to leave it up to other people as we are too busy
as with every other stealth tax levied on the car driver we roll over and accept it as we are too apathetic to protest in any organised way preferrring to leave it up to other people as we are too busy
Paul
Active Member
Having enjoyed the empty toll roads in France, I would favour toll roads if they were as good as the French auto routes.
The Auto routes are smooth, pot hole less, nice service areas and have higher speed limits (72mph in rain & 82mph when dry).
The Auto routes are smooth, pot hole less, nice service areas and have higher speed limits (72mph in rain & 82mph when dry).
Brian WH
MB Enthusiast
I second that having just driven back from the French Alps. But in this country the motorways are too short in comparison with France. Where can you do 500 miles without coming off the Motorway in this country?
andy_k
MB Enthusiast
just keep driving around the M25.
I've got to agree with the comments so far, the French autoroutes are superb and worth paying the tolls on and more importantly there is in 99% of cases an alternative route which avoids toll charges. I suspect things would be different in this country though, the road network would be passed over to some private company, another company put in charge of maintaining them and the government continue to rake in not only the revenue from the road fund licence as well as the new toll routes whilst those staying off the toll roads would be forced into paying a congestion charge in every village and town along the route.
As for improving traffic flow on our existing roads, instead of widening the motorways, just enforce the highway code insisting drivers do not sit in the centre/outside lane and make them move over to the left after overtaking. I've lost count of the number of times that traffic in the centre and outside lane are jammed solid whilst the left hand lane which a lot of people still call the "slow lane" is nearly empty.
Andy
I've got to agree with the comments so far, the French autoroutes are superb and worth paying the tolls on and more importantly there is in 99% of cases an alternative route which avoids toll charges. I suspect things would be different in this country though, the road network would be passed over to some private company, another company put in charge of maintaining them and the government continue to rake in not only the revenue from the road fund licence as well as the new toll routes whilst those staying off the toll roads would be forced into paying a congestion charge in every village and town along the route.
As for improving traffic flow on our existing roads, instead of widening the motorways, just enforce the highway code insisting drivers do not sit in the centre/outside lane and make them move over to the left after overtaking. I've lost count of the number of times that traffic in the centre and outside lane are jammed solid whilst the left hand lane which a lot of people still call the "slow lane" is nearly empty.
Andy
Paul
Active Member
Has anyone else noticed how good the French road manners are on the auto routes. I did not see any lane hogging what so ever.
I agree the Parisians are W**kers but once away from the city they put us to shame.
Oh and all the toll booth staff say hello and good bye, when did you last get that from the grumpy lot at Dartford.
I agree the Parisians are W**kers but once away from the city they put us to shame.
Oh and all the toll booth staff say hello and good bye, when did you last get that from the grumpy lot at Dartford.
Motard
Active Member
There is no question about paying, you pay directly, indirectly or both. In France I am glad they have the toll system, this means that all the tourists and the trucks bound for Spain and Portugal contribute.
They stopped charging road tax about 4 or 5 years ago, didn't understand why but didn't argue either.
The main problem in the UK is the density of the population and it will get worse before it gets better. Unfixable I'm afraid. Move down here you guys!
Bob
They stopped charging road tax about 4 or 5 years ago, didn't understand why but didn't argue either.
The main problem in the UK is the density of the population and it will get worse before it gets better. Unfixable I'm afraid. Move down here you guys!
Bob
Sp!ke
Administrator
I dont think there is a simple solution to traffic levels.
I don't like the idea that only the well off could afford to drive on certain roads but I agree, if the motorways were clear, tolls would be worth every penny.
I think that teleworking/flexitime should be encouraged and tax breaks offered to companies/staff who do what they can to ease congestion.
School/Work could start at staggered intervalls - some central European countries start work at six, and are hope by half three, shortly after the kids finish schoolso congestion is reduced and parents get to spend more quality time with their children.
I also think that we need to start thinking seriously about our public services.... How many people here would pay an extra ten pence in the pound for the next five or so years if at the end of the term we had the best transport infrastructure and the best national health service in Europe? Food for thought or do you think we are paying far too much already?
I don't like the idea that only the well off could afford to drive on certain roads but I agree, if the motorways were clear, tolls would be worth every penny.
I think that teleworking/flexitime should be encouraged and tax breaks offered to companies/staff who do what they can to ease congestion.
School/Work could start at staggered intervalls - some central European countries start work at six, and are hope by half three, shortly after the kids finish schoolso congestion is reduced and parents get to spend more quality time with their children.
I also think that we need to start thinking seriously about our public services.... How many people here would pay an extra ten pence in the pound for the next five or so years if at the end of the term we had the best transport infrastructure and the best national health service in Europe? Food for thought or do you think we are paying far too much already?
jimmy
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Having driven alot in America I am all for toll roads, I think you should pay for what you use and the roads are better maintained.
It's interesting that one of the comments was to enforce the Highway code so that people pulled over after overtaking. If the Highway code was strictly obeyed, most of us would be driving at the speed limit so there would be very little need to overtake.
This is more or less how it works in America, people have more respect for the speed limits and very rarely exceed them, you certainly don't get cars zooming up behind you at 90+ mph and flashing their lights at you because you are only doing 80mph evem though you should all be doing 70mph.
It's interesting that one of the comments was to enforce the Highway code so that people pulled over after overtaking. If the Highway code was strictly obeyed, most of us would be driving at the speed limit so there would be very little need to overtake.
This is more or less how it works in America, people have more respect for the speed limits and very rarely exceed them, you certainly don't get cars zooming up behind you at 90+ mph and flashing their lights at you because you are only doing 80mph evem though you should all be doing 70mph.
OP
OP
bloodmoon
Active Member
That's why the poll is there, everybody is entitled to their own opinion 
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Antony
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Antony
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bloodmoon
Active Member
True, but if the money really *does* go into reducing the volume of traffic and maintaining the road network - then surely it is worth it?
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jimmy
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True but time costs money and I have better things to do than driving around for miles to avoid a toll, I would rather pay a few pounds if it is going to be quicker.
My sat-nav must save me a few hours a week even on local driving. Worth is just for that.
Excellent idea! Then it will take you about 3 times longer to get to where you want to go and when you arrive you find you got "caught" by all the new "congestion charging" cameras soon to be installed in nice little villages dotted about britain. Besides, do you always start your satnav before making EVERY journey? That's the one reason why TMC prolly won't help me to avoid congestion, I don't use the satnav to find me a route to and from work: I already know the way
Road tax is pointless, I don't know why they bother with it, they should drop it and put a penny on fuel or something, then all the millions of people who "forget" to buy their road tax will be paying it regardless when they buy fuel. The only issue then is that right now you have to have insurance and a valid MOT to get road tax, if it's on fuel then that check is gone, but they could add something to the new computerised system they're bringing out to fix that I'm sure.
Tolls? Didn't we already work out that I'm paying about 2 grand per year in motoring taxes? What do I get for my money? Free parking on the M60 for an hour every day? We pay ENOUGH money as it is, they should try taking a step back from the problem and look at it more seriously as a whole. Other countries manage to have perfectly good roads with little congestion, why can't we?
Originally posted by jimmy
It's interesting that one of the comments was to enforce the Highway code so that people pulled over after overtaking. If the Highway code was strictly obeyed, most of us would be driving at the speed limit so there would be very little need to overtake.
This is more or less how it works in America, people have more respect for the speed limits and very rarely exceed them, you certainly don't get cars zooming up behind you at 90+ mph and flashing their lights at you because you are only doing 80mph evem though you should all be doing 70mph.
It's not the speeding people that are causing the congestion though (unless they cause an accident!). I am not a police officer and it isn't my place to try to prevent people from speeding, if someone is approaching me from behind in a lane I usually try to make way for them, it's only manners.
pluggers
MB Enthusiast
Isn't that what they are doing with these new digital camera's they check your plates then check if you have insurance and road tax through a national data base?
Ian B Walker
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Dont we already pay enough to drive our vehicles on the road. If toll roads were introduced wouldnt it be the start of a wedge, first one, then another and so on till all motorways were toll. A reduction in road tax. I cannot see Mr Prescott ever doing that. We, as drivers, probably contribute more that anyone in the upkeep of our country, so why should we pay even more? I voted never, sorry if this upsets some of our erstwhile members, it is not intended.
OP
OP
bloodmoon
Active Member
Originally posted by Shude
Second only to heavy smokers and drinkers
Wow, so if you smoke, drink, pay 40p in the pound tax and own a total gas guzzler - then you really are being shafted by the government
It baffles me, with all the money in the coffers, that there are so many shoddy road surfaces out there. Pot holes, mixtures of 2 different types of tarmac, scotchgrip and cobbles on one stretch, loose chippings etc... Surely they could at least provide a decent carriageway for our tyres?
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Antony
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