Discussion
Not sure I should mention this as it seems not many people know about it, but if your going up the M1 and need to get north of Stoke, don't touch the beginning of the M6, keep going up to the Donnington turn off and take the A50 to Stoke.
Lovely dual carriageway all the way across which is always quiet, (apart from once when a lorry flipped over, but that could happen anywhere)
Keep the speed down though, the BiB have a lot of hideaways as i've found out to my cost!!!!!
Wayne
Lovely dual carriageway all the way across which is always quiet, (apart from once when a lorry flipped over, but that could happen anywhere)
Keep the speed down though, the BiB have a lot of hideaways as i've found out to my cost!!!!!
Wayne
squealey said:
Not sure I should mention this as it seems not many people know about it, but if your going up the M1 and need to get north of Stoke, don't touch the beginning of the M6, keep going up to the Donnington turn off and take the A50 to Stoke.
Lovely dual carriageway all the way across which is always quiet, (apart from once when a lorry flipped over, but that could happen anywhere)
Keep the speed down though, the BiB have a lot of hideaways as i've found out to my cost!!!!!
Wayne
I drive regularly on the A50 and have seen the BiB pull loads of motorists. Strange, but they've all been proper patrol cars so I don't know why they weren't seen.
As for speeding on the M6 toll - wonder if Jay Jay Okocha thought it was unpoliced?
saxo-stew said:
i used the toll road driving home from scotland. i could'nt believe it. £2,and totaly empty road.smooth tarmac.easy driving.
i think i maybe saw 5 or 6 cars going the same way as me.
boycott it? are you mad?
I know it's tempting to use, but if too many people do, more and more roads will have tolls, when we have already paid for roads many times over in other ways and will continue to do so. So don't encoursge tolls!
Now I know this is sometime ( a long time in fact) after this point, but thought it was worth pointing out that the toll road wasn't built using private money: we used to live in a house which was on the route (along with loads of others) which were subject to compulsory purchase by the dept of transport ( was approx 300 houses in total if memory serves correctly) - these were paid for by the government and the company that was formed to build the road didn't then have to pay for the land - ergo taxpayers money was used in the construction of the road - so why should we pay for using it? Rant over
TheHobbit said:
Boycott it.
I'm not trying to start trouble, but....
Why?
I don't understand why people are getting shirty about it. A private company raised private money and tried to help out. No public money has gone into it, so, as a private company they would want/need to get some money back?
.....and yet people are determined to sit on the solid M6Free going nowhere fast?
...I'd use it for £2, infact, I'd pay a fiver if it cut huge amounts of time off my journey.
...or am I missing some massive point somewhere?
parrot of doom said:
If the regular M6 is clear, using the toll road doesn't actually save any time whatsoever. I've timed it at 70mph, the distance travelled is about the same either way.
Yes this issue was discussed in the Transport Select Committee.
Someone from either Freight Transport Association or Road Haulage Assoc (I forget) commented on why so few trucks used it. As part of his answer he commented that the M6 Toll only saved time on the parts of the day when the M6 was stopped, eg rush hours.
He pointed out that as the M6 toll route was longer, about 4.5 miles he said, then it took more time for a lorry travelling at 50 mph and of course most of an extra gallon of diesel.
At this comment Mrs G Dunwoody (Numpty-Labour) leapt down his throat and said "But lorries can't drive through Birmingham at 50, the limit is 30!"
Much sniggering in the marsh and it was pointed out to Madame Chairwoman that it was
Motorways that were being discussed. WTF has an urban 30 limit got to do with it. (Or words to that effect!) Mrs Dunwoody then went on one of her rambles about how keen HM Govt were to stop speeding bla bla bla. She all but put her fingers in her ears and sang LaLaLaLaLa.
When traffic information to motorists was discussed one or two very pointed comments were made re the matrix signs which only ever say "M6 Toll Road Clear." with no info about the M6 free. The inference made that this was a definite attempt to create uncertainty in drivers to divert some onto the toll road. The members of the committee (all attendees were Labour MPs as usual btw) just let these comments fly over their heads. Didn't understand the issues, or more like didn't want to understand.
Later that day I got a bollocking from Mrs FiF for ranting about Mrs Dunwoody. That woman is an utter feckwit! ...... oops not you dear, I'm talking about Plug.
I always thought the toll road was private. I wont be doing 100+ on there again!!
Its so open and smooth. i dont see why its not autobahn status....o yer i do. Easy picks.
I went on it by accedent...very cleaver road signage that confuses you onto the toll road, just to get the 2 pounds.
More roads like the toll road...just without the charge....
just for the record i would use it again.
Its so open and smooth. i dont see why its not autobahn status....o yer i do. Easy picks.
I went on it by accedent...very cleaver road signage that confuses you onto the toll road, just to get the 2 pounds.
More roads like the toll road...just without the charge....
just for the record i would use it again.
TheHobbit said:
Boycott it.
I'm not trying to start trouble, but....
Why?
I don't understand why people are getting shirty about it. A private company raised private money and tried to help out. No public money has gone into it, so, as a private company they would want/need to get some money back?
.....and yet people are determined to sit on the solid M6Free going nowhere fast?
...I'd use it for £2, infact, I'd pay a fiver if it cut huge amounts of time off my journey.
...or am I missing some massive point somewhere?
i will agree with that, what is your reason for boycotting it
HairyGit said:
Now I know this is sometime ( a long time in fact) after this point, but thought it was worth pointing out that the toll road wasn't built using private money: we used to live in a house which was on the route (along with loads of others) which were subject to compulsory purchase by the dept of transport ( was approx 300 houses in total if memory serves correctly) - these were paid for by the government and the company that was formed to build the road didn't then have to pay for the land - ergo taxpayers money was used in the construction of the road - so why should we pay for using it? Rant over
I would have to check out the details of the land purchase, but working for one of the companies that built the road, I do know that the construction was privately funded.
CAMBBA (Carillion, Amec, Balfour Beatty, and 2 banks (I think Abbey and an American Bank)) raised the funds, built the road, and maintain the road.
Maybe the land was purchased by the government (I would have to check), but as the government will inherit the road/land after the operating contract runs out (in about 50 years!), then it is not wasted money. At least taxpayers money has not been wasted constructing and maintaining the road.... only those that use it and wear it out pay for it, which is fair.
posty said:
boycot it?
nah!!
(anyone else ever sat in a classic M6 10 hour jammer b4?)
Absolutley.
On one hand I think I pay my road tax and am therefore entitled to enjoy congestion-free roads and why should I pay more but......
I'm not going to sit in a traffic jam on the M6 wasting a few hours of my life (in the meantime probably spending more than the 3.50 toll on petrol in all the start-stop traffic).
I agree with you folks taking a stand and boycotting it - I'm relying on you guys staying on the M6 keeping the toll road free for me!!!
Cheers.
(me on the M6 toll) 
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