Friday 14th May 2010

Tories End 'War On Motorists' (Apparently)

New transport secretary confirms fuel price stabiliser and end to fixed camera funding

---

Hammond: We will end the war!

Tory Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond has confirmed the new government's intention to withdraw all central funding for new fixed speed cameras. Local authorities will still be able to fund cameras, but any revenues will go to the treasury, and not into local coffers.

It is thought the removal of this revenue incentive is likely to significantly reduce the appetite for camera installations, as the so-called 'Road Safety Partnerships' that currently flourish around the country are squeezed.

Hammond has also confirmed his intention to introduce the fuel price stabiliser pledged before the election, in which fuel duty paid to the treasury will rise and fall to counter fluctuations in the oil price, although no further detail has been released on the scope of the scheme.

Money for new cameras will disappear

According to a report in today's Telegraph, Hammond has also rushed to rule out motorway tolls and other road pricing schemes (except perhaps on any privately-funded new roads).

"We will end the war on motorists. Motoring has got to get greener, but the car is not going to go away," he says.

[johnhenry]

the phrase 'moving in the right direction' springs to mind

[Oddball RS]

News shocker - some good news on a Friday???????

[nsmith1180]

About bloody time.

A transport minister whos head isnt stuck up his arse.

[cs02rm0]

Sudden outbreak of common sense?

Every day so far there's been a good move in the right direction, IMHO.

[hidetheelephants]

nsmith1180 said:

About bloody time.

A transport minister whos head isnt stuck up his arse.

If there is an announcement to the effect that DEFRA will no longer be campaigning for the elimination of farming in the UK, I may have an attack of the vapours.

[hman]

all the right reasons to have voted for them!

[Martin A]

Hmm, so revenue goes down if fuel goes up. Seems like a good deal for petrol company shareholders, put price up by 10p per litre and watch the profits roll in while the budget deficit increases.

[528Sport]

cs02rm0 said:

Sudden outbreak of common sense?

Every day so far there's been a good move in the right direction, IMHO.

fingers crossed it will continue........ we need it

[odyssey2200]

528Sport said:

cs02rm0 said:

Sudden outbreak of common sense?

Every day so far there's been a good move in the right direction, IMHO.

fingers crossed it will continue........ we need it

Everything crossed!

[WorAl]

Pah, believe it when I see it.

[Nick J]

Not so fast

I was talking to someone I know in the police about this and apparently the new direction will be to get more hidden speed cameras and vans on the go as the revenue for this stays locally.

If anything this is worse as the mobile and hidden cameras are the ones more likely to catch you out.

I think its a clever play on words, the article does mention 'Fixed Cameras' and nothing about mobile.

Time will tell

Nick

[havoc]

Martin A said:

Hmm, so revenue goes down if fuel goes up. Seems like a good deal for petrol company shareholders, put price up by 10p per litre and watch the profits roll in while the budget deficit increases.

But if the government are the ones losing out, don't you think they'll be quick to jump on any profiteering?!? They've a lot more power than the private punter to do stuff, not least "windfall taxes".

Something tells me the petrol companies won't quite have the carte blanche you suggest...

[Big Ashy]

Motorists have always been the easy target regarding tax in any way shape or form, it will be interesting to see just how much the current situation changes, it at all?

[soad]

So what happens to the Average Speed Cameras then?!

[Great Pretender]

Nick J said:

Not so fast

I was talking to someone I know in the police about this and apparently the new direction will be to get more hidden speed cameras and vans on the go as the revenue for this stays locally.

If anything this is worse as the mobile and hidden cameras are the ones more likely to catch you out.

I think its a clever play on words, the article does mention 'Fixed Cameras' and nothing about mobile.

Time will tell

Nick

My thoughts too, but the locations of mobile camers must be plublished IIRC.

[Ved]

Wonder what price per litre they'll aim to stabilise at?

cough....80p...cough...

[soad]

Ved said:

Wonder what price per litre they'll aim to stabilise at?

cough....80p...cough...

Can't see it getting below the £1 mark at all myself - if it does: I'll eat my socks (okay okay I'm not going to).

[109 Bob]

So more of the profitable mobile & hand held speed enforcement then.

ETA. Beaten to it.

Edited by 109 Bob on Friday 14th May 13:42

[essexplumber]

soad said:

Ved said:

Wonder what price per litre they'll aim to stabilise at?

cough....80p...cough...

Can't see it getting below the £1 mark at all myself - if it does: I'll eat my socks (okay okay I'm not going to).

Funny thing is £1 a litre would seem cheap now. If this all comes true I would be insanely happy and would offer my mrs up to cameron as way of a thank you.

[BBS-LM]

Good news about Fuel, I just hope it happens.