Cameron wants to privatise roads (again)

[Johnnytheboy]

At least it's better than the last lot who wanted to charge us for already-existing roads.

[trashbat]

The words 'feasibility study' mean this is a distraction, by the way, although I'm not sure what for yet.

[Morningside]

Johnnytheboy said:

At least it's better than the last lot who wanted to charge us for already-existing roads.

Thats what they want to do. Take over existing roads to help 'manage' repairs as well build new ones.

[uk_vette]

I can't believe it.

There are 31,000,000 (31 million) cars on the road,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7563297/N...

paying how much VED?
http://www.brebners.com/content/taxcentre_taxcard/...


First year rate per bands
0 Band A
0
0
0
115
130
165
265
315
445
580
790
1000 Band M
Total 3805


Standard rate per band
0 Band A
20
30
95
115
130
165
190
210
245
260
445
460 Band M
Total 2365

Just for maths sake, we average it all out, ie, put the same number of cars in band A as there are in all the other bands.

3805 + 2365 / (13 bands x2) = 242.88 average VED for each vehicle in whatever band.

31,000,000 x 237.30 = 7,356,538,461

So thats not enough for the roads?
Well it would be if the VED was spent totally on roads, as the inception idea many years ago.

That looks like a whole lot of money from whee I am sitting,
We should have great roads, but instead, the government is spending less and less on roads every year, and now declars we need to have more toll roads.
Well I guess there is no point asking if all VED will be abolished now is there?

Does any one have a real value for the total VED payed in to the DVLA - government?

Vette

Edited by uk_vette on Monday 19th March 10:07

Edited by uk_vette on Monday 19th March 10:11

[ralphrj]

uk_vette said:

Does any one have a real value for the total VED payed in to the DVLA - government?

Vette

According to wikipedia VED was worth 5.63bn in 2009.

It was interesting to note how long ago VED stopped being ring-fenced for road building and just added to general taxation - 1937.

[trashbat]

VED/general taxation is an irrelevance. Unless you spend literally all of your time driving in the style of Mad Max, using no other public services, you would pay approximately the same.

Now what have they done to the NHS on the quiet today?

[Caulkhead]

Derek Smith said:

So the tax-payer's money will be given to companies who will build roads and then charge the taxpaers for using them.

So we will pay for roads forever, another debt placed on children.

Or have I got it wrong?

Yes, you've got it wrong. Private firms will be employed to maintain existing toll-free roads using tax payers money and will be given permission to build new additional roads using private money which they may then charge tolls on.

[Otispunkmeyer]

wolves_wanderer said:

Regiment said:

Sounds like a great idea, as long as any tolls can be kept low and the private companies are overlooked to ensure they're doing a good job.

There is a charming innocence about comments like this.

aye because the result will be steadily increasing tolls (and road tax since they mention a portion of which will go to the companies) in exchange for doing nothing (or maybe throwing a few cones around every now and then).

[AndrewW-G]

hornetrider said:

Cameron is turning out to be a massive disappointment tbh.

The argument is that it's due to working in a coalition . . . . I've got to the point where I dont believe that at all.

UKIP will be getting my vote next time

[Sheets Tabuer]

trashbat said:

Now what have they done to the NHS on the quiet today?

When I first read this story my initial thought was what is this nonsense hiding.

[davepoth]

The private roads we do have in this country, aside from the M6 toll, do seem to work quite well. The Severn Bridges for example, which are pretty close to me.

What is certain is that the Government would never be able to get a major road building programme through given the political climate - there's too much of a green agenda.

If we do get a lot of shiny new toll roads I'd hazard a guess that HGVs will be required to use them, by dint of weight restrictions on parallel routes. In that case we'll be a lot like France, with tourists using the toll roads and locals using the old routes.

[hornetrider]

davepoth said:

The private roads we do have in this country, aside from the M6 toll, do seem to work quite well. The Severn Bridges for example, which are pretty close to me.

Define 'work well'. Crossing over is 6 quid a pop.

[trashbat]

Sheets Tabuer said:

When I first read this story my initial thought was what is this nonsense hiding.

Take your pick I guess: 50p tax rate, NHS vote, book cooking over Royal Mail pensions...

[Morningside]

How much quicker would the traffic move if we did NOT have Dartford toll? Now multiply this over the whole of the motorway network.

Any opposition to it will be put down to the God of Green.

This 'new' M6 toll road that seems to be a shining beacon. So for the price that is payed:
Are there any potholes?
Is the hard shoulder perfectly clean with no rubbish?
Are there no mis-coloured patches or variations of road surface?
Any debris on the central reservation zone?
All the toll booths open to allow minimum delay?

Is is paved in gold .

Maybe instead to help in payment, foreign lorries should pay towards upkeep?

[otolith]

So long as only new capacity built with private money is tolled, I'm all for it. It's the only way that we'll get new capacity without political interference from the anti-car lobby which believes private road transport should be left to rot and every penny spent on public transport.

I don't really see that subbing out the maintenance of existing roads and paying for it using public funds is any more radical than the DBFO (design, build, finance, operate) projects the last government used.

[thinfourth2]

Johnnytheboy said:

At least it's better than the last lot who wanted to charge us for already-existing roads.

you think that idea was dropped

no chance

Privatise the roads and satelite tracking means you can pay your bill according to what roads you have used.

[NoNeed]

I hated the idea when labour first suggested it, I see no reason to change my opinion.

[Bullett]

Don't private companies already maintain the roads?
I never see council workers doing the job it's always construction contractors.

[andy-xr]

If they're serious about this they should take road planning away from the councils and give that to private contractors.

Too many roads are badly designed, deliberately to obstruct the 'greenest' way to drive, whether thats traffic lights, road humps or some of the calming measures that cause cars to stop

Private roads/tolls wouldn't be any good to me for business use as I'd not claim it back, personal use I'd be interested in more info

[dandarez]

Bullett said:

Don't private companies already maintain the roads?
I never see council workers doing the job it's always construction contractors.

The Highways Agency

Guess what? GOVERNMENT!